This morning I read the news that many of the U.K.’s top retailers are consistently delivering poor customer service. Well, it isn’t really news. U.K. retailers have mostly been fobbing us off with poor service for many years, but this report
just confirms what many of us have known for years, that many of the U.K.’s best-known retailers have a lot to learn when it comes to delivering any sort of customer service. Halfords, WH Smith, Blacks, Tesco, Poundstretcher, JJB Sports, BHS, Brantano, TK Maxx – all seem to have totally dis-engaged workforces who get up and go to work because they have to, not because they want to. Until employers start to get their heads around engaging employees properly and consistently this sorry state of affairs is unlikely to improve.
So, what do they need to do? Well, I wonder how many of the people serving you in Tesco, or any of the other brands mentioned above, ever receive praise for a job well done. Many of the front line people that I have worked with over the years spend so much time keeping their managers happy that they have little or no time for the customers. Isn’t it time that some of our U.K. businesses turned themselves upside down and put the customer at the top of the organisation chart instead of the bottom? When that happens, you have no idea how powerful the changes in behaviour are within the organisation, when it’s done properly.
Companies like Tesco, Halfords and WH Smith might like to go and take a look at how Lush, John Lewis, Apple, Lakeland, Clark’s, Richer Sounds, Disney Store, Ikea, Morrisons, Bon Marche, Marks & Spencer, Evans Cycles, Waterstone’s, Maplin’s Electronics and Jones the Bootmaker run their businesses – they are the top retailers for customer service in the U.K.
You would think it was a no-brainer, wouldn’t you? In a recession, when people have less money to spend, they are going to go and spend it somewhere where they are made welcome and feel valued. Try it – it really works, valuing people – it takes a lot of time and effort and changes in behaviour throughout an organisation, but it really is worth it, and it will even put a smile on the face of the Finance Director!
Graham, does it have anything to do with their rate of pay? Would it improve if the customer rewarded them with a tip as they do in the hospitality industry?
You would think so, wouldn’t you Karen? The truth is, however, that money is not at the top of the list of what people work for. I’m not saying that people should be poorly paid, that is clearly unacceptable, but most people’s prime motivation for going to work is job satisfaction. That has been proved time and again in countless employee surveys. So, if you can create satisfied employees, it’s likely that you will also create a great customer experience. How do you find out what creates a satisfied employee? Ask them!