Power of Frontline Personnel
Ever wonder why some businesses make it and others don’t?
Let’s look at one sector for a moment – restaurants. If you compare apples to apples, in most cases the food is good and the cost is about the same. There could be a difference in ambiance, but the real difference is in the service you receive. It starts with the host or hostess and runs clear through the wait-person.
Try this – next time you walk into an Asian restaurant, take note of the host or hostess. They will most likely meet you at the door with menus in hand, counting the number of people you are with, saying “table for 4, come right this way.”
Next, take notes at an American restaurant. As you walk in, the host or hostess will most likely look away or glance at their seating chart. I’ve even experienced a host or hostess walk away as I arrive, without saying a word. Then out of nowhere they will look up, as if surprised, and ask, “oh, ah, how many in your party?” What, they did not see you come in and cannot count up to 4?
After these experiences, how do you feel about their establishments? You have not eaten, nor have you been wowed by the wait-person, but your impression is different right from the start.
In today’s world frontline personnel ARE our companies.
They are what our clients think of our products and service, and they dictate client loyalty. But who are these people and what are we doing to create an image that creates loyalty.
Many times they are entry level. Some have college experience (which does little to promote verbal communications) and some do not.
There is a crisis coming and we don’t even see it coming.
It goes like this … as products become more and more similar, client communications becomes more and more the differentiator … all at a time when the workforce has fewer and fewer people who will accept entry level or frontline positions … and can actually speak to clients.
Outsourcing of call centers is short sighted and will in fact be rescinded. Executives will figure out that future sales are a direct result of clear and honest communication after the sale.
Time to wake up, folks.
Time to meet your clients at the door and deliver what they want. It is time to answer the phone, personally. It is time to put as much energy in your support services as you do your marketing brochures. It is time to ‘in-source’ your call center. It is time to care about your customer, because they are just a ‘click’ away from your competitor.
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By Kent Lane, 20-year customer service executive. Send questions or comments to kentl@bridgefront.com.