Managing staff - it's all about the 5Ps.

There are two main recruiting practices:

1. Filling a vacancy as quickly as possible and hoping for the best;
2. Spending extra time and effort in the early stages to set all parties up for success.

The reality is that most of us have, at some stage, been guilty of option one. Your business doesn't slow down because you're short staffed, and the demands of Now can be overwhelming, overshadowing the Benefits of Later. But being prepared to suffer a little pain in the short term can set the stage for greater success - and much less stress - in the long term and on an ongoing basis.   

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

You're likely already familiar with the 5Ps. Make them the cornerstone of everything you do and you'll avoid much frustration and save a great deal of time dealing with avoidable problems.  

How to apply them to recruiting new staff? Here are a few tips:

Recruiting

There isn't a foolproof way to picking the perfect staff member, the aim here is to reduce the chances of selecting someone who isn't right for you or your business. 

The interview process can be a difficult one. Make it easier and more reliable by having a list of core questions you ask each interviewee. Base them on the requirements of the role and the values you're looking for. In this way you'll be comparing like for like on what's important to you. Also, if you're like me in having a terrible memory, you'll not forget to ask key questions!

If you can, do a second interview, ideally with a different interviewer. Different people pick up on different things, and this fresh approach can add real value to the process. Ideally, it will reinforce your original assessment. However, be prepared for the opposite. 

Induction

This is where it often starts to go wrong: a new staff member is brought into the business, shown little more than where the tea room is and how to use the register, then left to get on with it. 
Take time to share important information about your business: the history; business values and standards; policies and how to access them; services offered; what sets you apart from your competitors and so on. Help them to understand the why, how and where of your business.
Talking about your business not only sets the tone about professionalism and performance, but also goes a long way to making a new staff member feel part of it.

Training
Most jobs are far more complex than they appear. A task may appear straight forward, but have elements which must be fully understood to be performed well. Having a structured training component of the induction process will ensure that a new staff member is fully trained in all aspects of their role and set up to succeed.
As with the interview process, have the training component documented to make sure nothing is left out. Start with the basics and build on that, step by step, taking a logical progression. In this way more information will be retained and confidence developed.
Use the "show me" technique to ensure understanding. This is also useful as a refresher if there's a break before the task is actually performed, say a day later or before the next stage of training. When they're performing the "show me", be patient. Remember that they're not only new to the task (or at least your particular systems), but also probably worried about making a mistake. Letting them know you understand this will go a long way to relieving what anxieties they may have.
Don't feel that you have to complete every element of the training yourself. If you have staff with particular strengths, involve them in the process. It takes some of the pressure off you and shows the existing staff member you value their knowledge and ability to communicate it. 

Review
This is an ongoing process, whether a staff member has only just started or been with you for years. Whilst me may assume our staff know if we're happy - or unhappy - with their performance, the reality is that if we're expecting staff to "read between the lines", then chances are there are going to be errors and misunderstandings.
Clear and open communication is essential in the review process, as it is in all areas. At its simplest, this takes the form of constructive feedback, both negative and positive. Negative feedback helps a person understand what they have done wrong and how to fix it; it gets them back on track. Positive feedback reinforces desired behaviours and encourages more of the same. Both are essential and both should be done in a timely manner to be effective.
Why is it essential to do it in a timely manner? If you're failing to address a negative behaviour, the the perception is you're condoning it, making it much more difficult to deal with later. If it's a positive behaviour, then the perception will soon be that effort is not recognised and appreciated.
How often to give feedback? With positive, as often as possible. Look for wins to recognise. Sometimes, this could be as simple as thanking someone for doing a particularly good window display, or washing everyone's mugs without being asked. Feedback doesn't just have to be about the big things.


As you can see, none of this is difficult, though it does require planning and documentation. The beauty of it is that once this is done, it can be replicated each time someone new is brought into the business.
In summary, next time you recruit, set yourself up for success by doing the following:

• Spend time to find the right person
• Welcome them into your business 
• Give them the tools and knowledge to do their job to a high standard
• Keep them informed of their progress

Do you follow this process and, if so, how has it worked for you? Would you like to follow it but feel unable to? What do you think? I'd be interested to hear from you.

Want to build goodwill? Do what you say you will.

Each time I walk down my local shopping strip, I pass by a cafe I used to frequent. It doesn't have a particularly smart fit out, it doesn't have tables outside, it doesn't really have anything in particular to recommend it, apart from being part of a health food shop close to the train station. It's a business which relies on the goodwill of its customers, as so many businesses do. But goodwill is a frail and ephemeral thing, which needs to be fed and nurtured to survive. Take it for granted and you're likely to lose it. 

I ceased to be a customer when I felt my goodwill was being taken for granted, in this case by the cafe regularly opening later than stated. 

If you want my goodwill, do what you say you will.

The things which irritate me as a customer are probably the same things which irritate you. They're obvious and shouldn't happen, and we'll complain about them when they do. Yet how often do they happen in our own stores?

Not sticking to our trading hours

Generally speaking, customer are creatures of habit; make things easy and convenient for them and they'll come back to you. Conversely, make things difficult, confusing, uncertain or unreliable, and they'll look elsewhere. 

Having people visit your store when you should be open, only to find your doors closed, is likely to have them looking for somewhere more reliable next time. No-one likes standing around waiting for a store to open, and no-one likes having their time wasted by turning up to find everyone's gone home. 

Unless there's a compelling reason - and no, simply being quiet doesn't cut it - make sure you're ready and waiting to serve customers when you say you will.

Nor will not having a trading hours sign on display help. That just creates another sort of uncertainty which won't endear you to customers.

Not calling customers back when we say we will

How many times have you waited for someone to call you back, only to have waited in vain? How has it made you feel? Angry? Unimportant? Helpless? Vowing never to darken their doorstep again? 

We all hate it, yet it continues to happen anyway. So often, those who will complain when on the receiving end will justify it when they're the one failing to make the call. Yes, you might be busy. Yes, you might not have the relevant information to hand. No, this does not make it acceptable. If you tell someone you're going to call them by a certain time, then call them by that time, even if it's to explain why you don't have the final answer or information. Keeping people informed of progress goes a long way to maintaining their goodwill. 

Not automatically providing a discount or offer which we've promoted

If you have a special offer of any sort, be it a gift with purchase, discount on selected products, competition entry or some other form of call to action for customers, make sure all staff know about it and deliver it without prompting.

As a rule of thumb, if you make people ask, you've lost some goodwill. If you make them ask for something which they're entitled to automatically, then you're not only losing goodwill, but you're also risking your reputation for reliability. 

Not putting our customer first

I lose track of the number of times I've seen a business go out with a strong marketing campaign to drive people into their store, only to fail by not backing it up with great - or often even good - customer service.

The act of opening a store and inviting potential customers in to it is making a unspoken promise about service. Fail to deliver on the basics of that promise and it's unlikely that customers will return. The basics aren't complicated - acknowledging customers when they come in, having product knowledge, being open and available to assist, assessing their needs before making recommendations, thanking them for their custom/visit. Much of this is simple courtesy, and it all goes a long way to building goodwill and loyalty.

Some of these promises are clearly stated, such as abiding by trading hours or honouring a commitment to return a call. Others are implicit, though just as much of a promise to your customer. Ultimately,  however, the ability to build and maintain customer goodwill is in your hands.

Who's the most important person to your business?

Before you say, "our customers, of course", stop and think - would your customers agree?
If any of the following sound worryingly familiar, it might be time to step back and look at your store with a fresh pair of eyes.

"I hate the music"
I love the music, but not when it's inappropriate or too loud. When it's both, then I feel you clearly hate me and want me never to return.
Too often the choice of music played is down to whoever is nearest the player, which can result in the staff being happy, but not necessarily the customers. 
Consider who your customer is and what's likely to appeal to them or represent your business best. Have a playlist for your store and make sure everyone sticks to it. Try to avoid music which is ubiquitous (there was a time a few years back when the merest hint of Dido as I walked into a store was enough to make me turn around and walk back out again) as well as anything appealing to too narrow an audience. Music should contribute to the atmosphere, not demand your customers' attention. 
A final thing. Beware of lyrical content. I once used a song which had great energy and tone, a song I loved, in a playlist for a workshop. It wasn't until I listened to it afresh that I realised it may not be as appropriate as I had hoped.*

I feel the walls closing in
I find it difficult to walk past kitchenware stores. There, I've said it. I'm the customer that will browse in your store hoping to find something without which their life will be incomplete. 
So why do I now avoid the kitchenware store in my local shopping centre? Let me tell you.
Having established themselves through doing a lot of things right - clean and clear fit out, quality product and strong range - they have now undone all of that work by placing trestle tables containing sale and bargain stock in the entry. Not a problem in and of itself, except that it has resulted in the entrance now being so narrow that entry and browsing can be awkward, the store looks cluttered and untidy and the shelves of full price product at the front of store are difficult to browse. 
A decision which was made to allow for the display and quick sale of extra stock has resulted in an unwelcoming entry and most likely affected sales of full price product from prime retail space.
On the face of it, this was a decision made with convenience, rather than the customer, in mind.

Don't make me have to ask you
A good retailer knows the value of engaging with customers, and will encourage interaction in a number of ways. That said, if your store is poorly laid out, with unclear signage and no thought to merchandising, then you're making it difficult for your customer to find what they're after. 
If you make your customers ask for help, they'll resent it. Not in the "I'm going to put a curse on you" kind of way, but enough to make some of them decide to shop elsewhere next time. Then there are those customers who just won't ask and will go elsewhere instead.
Consider, also, what happens during busy periods when you may not be able to get to all customers in a timely manner. If you're making someone ask, then making them wait to do it, you may as well kiss any return visits from that customer goodbye.

"Computer says no"
I don't care how nice your staff are, if they don't have decent product knowledge, aren't sure of their processes and can't show flexibility or initiative in responding to my requests, they're wasting my time. End of story.
Train them properly, give them the tools to do their job and show them that customer service is your priority. If you're not doing those things, you're not  about the customer.

You're dead to me now...
You've had great service from the sales assistant. They've been pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable; all the things you look for. They take you to the counter, put the sale through, take your money, hand the bag over, then...switch off and go back to what they were doing!
I think of this as the "you're dead to me now" behaviour. Whilst there's a possibility of a sale, you're the focus of attention, but once the transaction is complete, you no longer exist.
Your customer is judging you until they walk out your door. Don't undo all your good work by making them think you're insincere.

What do we take from this?
Your customers should be front of mind with everything you do, from the way you lay out your store to the music you play to the way you behave. Not in some things and not most of the time - in all things and all of the time. 
Maintaining a consistently high standard isn't easy to do, but those retailers who make it their business to ensure their customers feel welcome, happy and valued are those who are best able to weather the tough times.

I'd be interested to hear what you think. How do you show your customers you value them?



*If you're interested, you can check out the song by clicking here. I think you'll like it - just watch where to play it!