Customer Service Blunders & Solutions Part 4: Yes, Virginia, it IS Your Job.

As we go through our workdays, it can be easy to become jaded...if we let it happen. A very common result of this jadedness is the statement: "It's not my job." I spent years in the workforce witnessing similar reactions and I came to the conclusion that most people do not like what they do for a living.

I know what it's like to be stuck in a rut or have a bad boss try to humiliate you. I have also felt the 'empty fishbowl' effect of watching as the world went by outside of the trap I created for myself, wondering when I would get to join in on the action and do something important instead of being stuck inside with my jaded co-workers.

Then, one day, I saw 'Joe vs. The Volcano" and it made me think. It's not that I wasn't thinking before that, I just wasn't thinking the right things. Showing up at the same place every day with the same problems and hearing the same things over and over and over again can really take the color out of life (even though the color really doesn't go anywhere).

It's easy to see why someone might utter the words 'it's not my job' and it is not entirely their fault. But, when a customer hears somebody say that, it's a real letdown. It makes customers feel uncomfortable because they don't want to hear that kind of internal struggle that is so evident in a company; they just want to get what they came for. The concept of 'it's not my job' also affects productivity.

So, Virginia was just finished helping a customer with a new jacket one day and another customer had dropped a milkshake on the floor. The other salespeople were with customers and the manager asked Virginia if she could clean up the spill. Guess what Virginia said? Of course she didn't want to do it, because she felt that that kind of work was below her and therefore humiliating.

The manager, Steve, gave Virginia very little reason to come to work every day because he wasn't very nice and commanded things rather than asked. There was a running joke that he was a 'retail dictator'. Virginia needed her job and was there primarily for commissions because the hourly rate was so poor, so she reluctantly grabbed a broom, dustpan and large rag to clean up the mess - and she didn't look happy about it.

That retail store was clearly not a well-oiled machine. But, what was the problem? Who was to blame? Was it Virginia's job? Let's examine this case study to find solutions:

1. Problem: No wage increases. Details: There is little that can be done about Virginia's hourly rate at this time. It was mentioned in a company memo that there would be no pay raises for six months so that the company could avoid layoffs. Solution: Steve should have had a meeting with his staff about the memo. He should have motivated people to get more commissions by selling more and he should have provided information on how to do it.

2. Problem: Steve does not know how to motivate people. Solution: He should take professional development courses or seminars and educate himself about how to motivate people and communicate with them. Steve should also show a good example once in a while by cleaning something himself when everybody else is busy. He should explain to Virginia (and other staff) that a liquid spill is more of a safety hazard than anything else and that it must be dealt with by anybody who is available as a gesture of extended customer service - and do so with a smile. Steve should also learn how to tell a joke or two to lighten up his staff.

3. Problem: Virginia is jaded and only in it for herself. Solution: Virginia should be reminded why teamwork is important and that she can improve her livelihood by learning a few new sales techniques and therefore get more commissions. She should be reminded to think about customer service and safety for customers and staff - but she should be told in a calm, humorous way and not in front of customers or other staff. She should also be encouraged to laugh.

For more on this topic, contact:
- Buck Moore (buck@thinkworknotjob.com)