The ROI in empowering front-line employees

The ROI in empowering front-line employees
Tags: CRM, Operations Management, Professional Services, Staffing & Training
December 8, 2009 - Mike Wittenstein

* Mike Wittenstein is a consultant who designs experiences in hospitality and retail. This is Part II of a feature that ran on Monday.

Last week, I talked about market opportunities for fast casual operators created by guests migrating down-market from higher priced restaurants. I have a good reason for addressing fast casual operators specifically. You are at the epicenter of a rapidly-changing, fast-growing market being created not by new brands but by the changing desires and preferences of guests. You have the most to gain from designing an outstanding experience for your guests.

Unlike the low-end restaurateurs who are selling commodities and are forced to compete on price alone, you can still win business by offering a better experience. And unlike the higher-end brands — the best of which will survive the next market shakedown — your market has open-ended growth potential.

I compare your challenge — designing an outstanding customer experience — to that of an architect designing a three-dimensional structure. The dimensions of a fast casual operator's design problem are not "length, width and height." (That would make you a restaurant designer.) The criteria your design needs to meet are those of your customers, your employees and your business. I'll talk about the requirements of your business next week.

Today, I am going to focus on helping you find out what your customers really want — which is not always the same as what they say they want — and creating the employee experience that will inspire employees to do whatever it takes to make customers happy.

A number of years back, Hewlett-Packard quietly introduced an innovation in the way customers purchased ink cartridges for their HP printers. The company changed its printer operating system software so that when customers downloaded the print drivers needed to install their printers, they also received an ink-level sensing applet that displays a dashboard of black and color ink levels. The applet also links to the Internet and provides the Internet retailer with the cartridge number so that the customer can buy the right kind of cartridge at the right time — before they run out of ink.

This innovation, which was a competitive advantage for HP until other printer makers caught up, came about as a result of asking "What does a customer buying an ink cartridge really want?" It's not about the ink. It's about not running out of ink. Avoiding an emergency trip to the office supply store is the experience the customer is seeking.

Your front-line employees will be happy to help you discover the experiences your guests are seeking. Most likely, they already know more about your guests than you do. Listening to your employees is a great place to begin your design process. Let them tell you the stories of their interactions with guests who visit. You will be able to decipher patterns in guest behavior from the raw data your employees collect. You'll be able to draw a graph that puts their data in context so that they too can see the bigger picture.

Listen more to your employees, and they will want to listen more to guests. Help your employees shape the questions they ask of guests so that a dialogue ensues.

"How can I help you?" is about as exciting as flickering fluorescent lights in the restroom. If you're lucky, you'll get a monosyllabic answer: "No. 3."

A small variation on this question by an attentive employee making eye contact with the customer can yield a lot more information about what's important to this customer, something like:

"What brings you in today, sir?"

"Well, lunch ... and I'm killing some time before my 3 p.m. meeting next door in 20 minutes."

(Noticing the shiny new NetBook) "Did you know we offer high-speed Internet access? Here's the free access code."

"That's great. I'm supposed to check out this prospect's three new commercials, and I didn't get to do that before I left the office."

(Glancing back while assembling the guest's order) "Just have a seat, and I'll bring your food to you."

The guest beams back a very relaxed smile that lets the employee know just how precious those few minutes on the Internet mean to his meeting preparation. While meeting that non-food need doesn't mean much to the kitchen, it means everything to the guest!

Now we're getting somewhere. While serving, this observant employee is learning what's really important to the guest. He also enjoys some positive feedback and shares the big smile he got with his co-workers and shift manager. The guest feels noticeably more relaxed (he'll be very ready for his meeting in a few minutes) and has learned that he can get more from this restaurant than food.

The guest finishes his late lunch, and the employee goes on to serve others. As the visiting-us-for-the-first-time guest puts away his NetBook and starts to carry his tray to the trash, that same employee intercepts him and offers to take the tray for him. He trades the tray for a store business card and says "Here. For next time." The card has the traditional info and a personalized access code for that visitor on it.

Cool. Now, in addition to delivering a memorable experience, and proving that the guest's time matters, you have also created the opportunity to get to know that guest much better over time. Next time in, they'll trade their e-mail address for the code. The next time, they'll tell you a little more for the coupon you'll give them. During the holidays, guess who's providing the party trays — and how many new guests that will get into your restaurant.

Everybody wins.

Guests are people we do things for — not to. How's that for a new mantra? Next time, I'll be talking about how to design a customer experience that works for your bottom line. In the meantime, practice listening to employees — and let me know what you learn.

Mike Wittenstein, a consultant and speaker, designs experiences in hospitality and retail. You can reach him at Mike@MikeWittenstein.com.