Customer experiences are directly proportional to employee experiences, especially in service and retail industry.
How many times have you visited a retail outlet and found an executive who is to eager to help (when you want to be left alone) or you don't find 'one' when you want some assistance? How many times have you visited a gaming-joint or a family entertainment centre and found floor executives either not too helping or with inadequate knowledge? I am sure it has happened to you more than once.
In one of the recent MDPs on Talent Management, where I was one of the resource persons, a DGM -HR of a retail giant expressed that two of his most serious problems were retaining and training sales guys in the outlets. They would jump jobs even for a petty-raise of Rs. 500-1000. And their ability to deal with customers is not too high - more specifically they do not know when to help and when to leave the customer alone. Additionally, when it comes to groceries or vegetable/fruits, female customers come armed with lots of information about prices prevailing in mom'n'pop stores or street-side vegetable vendors. Their executives do not seems to have the same proficiency in managing such an 'informed' customer and explaining about best-offers or prices offered by the retail store.
All this brings to the point that 'Training for Skills' is such an important intervention to engage both the internal and external customer.
The Spaceport ( American family entertainment centres) employee training video should be an eye-opener for many on how even less skilled and literate employees, in direct customer-facing roles can be made more efficient through training. And how such initiative has helped Spaceport to serve its customers better.
1 comment:
This worthy article has reminded me my own experience which i had some 15 years back while trying to convince one Bata Retail Outlet senior executive.
I never compromise with my shoes in terms of quality and BATA used to be one of the leading brand in our time. Fortunately i had one BATA Shop right down my office at that time in Ultadanga VIP crossing in Kolkata and my choice was obvious for the model Signor .
After seven days its sole got dis located and i brought the same to get it replaced by a new one under the warranty coverage. However, at the end i had been dis allowed to wear the signor by the counter manager who asked me to take back the money by returning the shoe pair. When i asked as what i should do with two pair of shocks which were free gift and unfortunately i had already used one, the manager was generous in allowing me to retain those two pairs.
I came out wondering on my luck and also honestly was at loss because til then i had never try other shoes. Luckily i got one shop of liberty few steps ahead and BATA was over for me since then.
I am sure of the fact that had that gentleman at front desk got trained thoroughly on customer dealing i would have remained a loyal customer of BATA till date.
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