| Doesn't it make you cringe when you phone into the | | | | brightest individuals are not clairvoyant and they can't |
| office on an 'away day' and the receptionist makes it | | | | know your internal methods until someone shows |
| sound as though you misdialled and got through to | | | | them. And don't forget that recruiting from the top of |
| Fred's Back Street Warehouse? | | | | the tree in order to import skill and ability incurs a cost |
| Just as bad is the feeling you get as you stride through | | | | premium. |
| customer support and overhear poor advice being | | | | So, how do you make sure that the people you |
| given to a caller. | | | | employ present the best service to your customers |
| Okay, you always take action, you always put it right. | | | | from day one? |
| You tell yourself it only happens on rare occasions, | | | | One way is to make absolutely sure that every |
| when you need to backfill because of staff shortage, | | | | employee has easy access to any resource they |
| sickness or holidays. | | | | may need. In order to perform even a simple task a |
| But, you know it does happen and you have a sneaky | | | | person needs to know how you want it done. It makes |
| suspicion it happens most often when you don't see it. | | | | sense, therefore, to document your processes. |
| Receptionists, support staff, delivery drivers, field | | | | Everything from answering the phone to giving detailed |
| workers, representatives, they all present the 'face' of | | | | product support can be written up and given as a |
| your company to a particular individual at a particular | | | | resource to employees where and when they need it. |
| moment in time. | | | | Technical authoring will ensure that the documentation |
| While you take care to ensure that new employees | | | | describes the processes in straightforward language, |
| are schooled in the correct techniques to present the | | | | enabling average employees to follow the steps and |
| professional face of your company there are times | | | | ensure all customer contact is conducted in a precise |
| when busy schedules mean the lessons are not | | | | and professional manner. |
| learned quickly enough. | | | | New and temporary hire need only to be shown |
| In these days of 'judgment by performance' only one | | | | where to find documentation to be fully capable of |
| person is going to carry the can for poor presentation | | | | piloting a customer interaction to a satisfactory |
| and whether you are proprietor, manager or team | | | | conclusion. |
| leader that person is you. You can't very well take it | | | | Everyone wins, your employees are happy because |
| out on the people who fail you, especially if you didn't | | | | they have confidence in what they are doing, your |
| allow enough time to train them in the first place. | | | | customers receive a professional service and feel |
| You could of course make sure that new and | | | | safe in their association with your organization and the |
| temporary hire is always of a very high standard. That | | | | next time you call in on an 'away day' you'll be proud |
| would bring new skills and talent into the business, but | | | | to experience the professionalism. |
| of course there would still be some training. Even the | | | | |