Last week we discussed the benefits of empowering employees, and a real-life example of the tactic allowing an employee to not only avert disaster but produce a positive outcome. After the blog was published we discussed the issue of empowerment and accountability with other business colleagues. One of the recurring themes was how important it is for any business with employees who are in face to face contact with customers to feel they have the power to ensure customer service can be handled effectively and quickly. There are many everyday situations where front line employees need to be empowered to make decisions, like this one:
Two weeks ago, a colleague was supermarket shopping at Woolworth's where he chose a product off the shelf which he thought was marked down by 50%. At the checkout it scanned at the full price, so a little frustrated he made a complaint to the checkout staff who called for a price check by a supervisor. When the supervisor returned she showed our colleague the marked down product; it was different to the one he'd chosen. The supervisor realised this customer didn't want the alternate product and would end up not buying either of them. Thinking quickly she marked the first product down by 50% and completed the sale.
The actions of this quick thinking floor supervisor demonstrated the empowerment she had to make decisions regarding processes that occur every day on the supermarket floor. And she felt accountable to use that empowerment. Management had instilled in her a strong company ethic and trained her to improve every customer interaction. Her actions had led our colleague to raise this story with us, and others, creating positive word of mouth for the company. When this sort of accountability happens in a business it creates loyal (and returning) customers. When it doesn't happen, customers may be deeply annoyed by the lack of understanding from the supervisor, and the company.
However a process like this doesn't just appear in a company, as if by magic. It has to be believed in and pursued from the top down, through all levels of the company; executives, middle management, front line management and customer service employees. Training is a key factor involved in ensuring all levels of the business know how such a culture will improve not only the company's customer relations but also its bottom line!