How ’empowered’ are your people? Do they really contribute to your customers’ experience? Are they encouraged to ‘delight’ your customers? Are they allowed to? Here’s a nice example from Pret A Manger that highlights how they ensure that their people reinforce their ‘Dramatic Difference‘.
Rather than have a ‘loyalty card’ to get their customers to come back, they encourage their staff to give away sandwiches and hot drinks! No, not just to anyone, but to their ‘regulars’ or someone who has been particularly ‘polite’! The judgement call of whether to do it is in the hands of their front line staff – they decide when! Now, THAT’S EMPOWERMENT!
It’s an approach that certainly seems to be working with sales rising 16% a year on average and profits rising 19% over the past 3 years. A key ingredient is undoubtedly their approach to their people. When recruiting they look for three characteristics: passion, clear talking and team working, and they then reinforce this day to day. Their people are encouraged to ‘not hide your true character’ and are rewarded and promoted for things like ‘cheerfulness’! Rewards are also given to the whole team for ‘outstanding’ customer experiences spotted by weekly ‘mystery shoppers’.
So… 5 Questions for you:
- How EMPOWERED are your people?
- Have they got clear guidelines of what they can and can’t do (can and can’t spend)?
- Are they ENCOURAGED to do it?
- Are they ENABLED to do it?
- Are they ‘REWARDED AND RECOGNISED’ for doing it?
It’s all about establishing a culture that supports this – here’s a FREE E-BOOK that shows you how – Download it today!
