Another question about cost...

How much money does poor customer service cost your organisation?

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the branch of a High Street bank in the UK to do some business for my company. Not unusual you may say. I agree. But the experience highlighted for me how much companies -even established brands- loose when their frontline staff, the first point of contact with customers, do not have the best skills set to make the customer experience enjoyable.

The employee, seemingly new to the role, had only been provided with rather limited information. Ask the customer to complete the form, leave it with you and someone will call. He could not answer how long it will take for his colleague to follow-up, how long the process with take or even when next his colleague will be at the branch. Although I have had a long association with this organisation, the experience left me NOT IMPRESSED. Then I leave to attend a Canary Wharf networking event and our conversation highlighted the poor customer service and limited communication skills of many employees in public facing roles. One Manager even shared that she called one of her offices and was greeted only by 'Hello'. She then had to go on to enquire which organisation she had reached. She was rather surprised to find out that frontline staff in her organisation was delivering the quality of service she considered consistent with her organisation's values. Back to the drawing board she went to review the training provided to new staff.

Getting back to my experience with the High Street institution. Outcome, I did not do business with them, but had a discussion with a competitor who responded readily to my query, was experience and had been well-trained to treat all queries with respect. By demonstrating Courteous Attention Required Everytime (CARE), the employee was able to win a new client for her organisation.

So, think about your organisation today. How much have you lost and continue to lose from frontline staff who are not well trained? Do share your estimate.

Veronica

Executive Solutions (Training) Ltd
Small enough to be flexible, experienced enough to deliver.

How much does team conflict cost your business?

Trying to control teams rather than managing them in a way that recognises the enormous personalities and talents of team members is a recipe for intra-team conflict, backbiting and tension. Ingredients for a disaster!

Team building to convert anger and feuds into positive energy for team success is often helped when teams are allowed to discuss issues and share views, when the leader understands the personalities of team members and demonstrates leadership skills by bonding a team that shares common values and goals and demonstrates this by playing from the same score.

Read: Hamilton gives us all feud for thought, article by Sathnam Sanghera in the Business Life section of in the October 6, 2007 edition of The Times