Front Line Personnel - How to Build or Break Your Business

Think your logo or your new age architecture building will make a great impression? What about your landscaped gardens and interior decorating? Your professionally designed website and marketing campaigns?

Sure, however, they are no match for the impact and impression your front line staff will have on new customers and clients.

When you hear people complain about a shop they went to, a service center, a restaurant, it is almost uncommon to hear them complain about any of the above mentioned items. The building, website, gardens, office interiors or seating arrangements is almost insignificant. The source of complains is based on the experience customers had at your premises in the following 2 areas, service engagement or service quality.

Service Engagement is what we are looking at in this instance, as service quality refers to to the actual process of repairs, or preparing food, etc, whereas service engagement refers to the experience of your business while engaging your front line personnel.

What is Front Line Personnel (FLP)?

Front line personnel, refers to the people your customers interact with first. The receptionist, the secretary, the waiter, the call center operator, the teller. The salesman at the computer shop, the cellphone shop or car dealership. All these people create the lasting impression of your company.

A Simple Example - Fill in YOUR Front Line Personnel

While on holiday we visited a restaurant in Jeffrey's Bay in the morning hours. The decor was great, ambiance was spot on for the typical beach restaurant and everything was neat, and professional looking. Lighting was beautiful and some nice work on cladding. Soft couches in one corner, the works. We were waited upon by a young girl, who had full knowledge of the entire menu, explained the specials and recommended some dishes.

My son, underage, ordered a virgin drink which they did not have, and she explained that if we would like, she offered to try and make one, as they prepare all drinks themselves. When she came back, it looked beautiful, chocolate swirled sides, cherry, sprinkles the lot. Our orders came to the table, together and correct. She followed up after about a minute and then 10 min later.

This service was so good, that we decided to pay another visit later than week.

When we arrived, we were impressed once again by the lighting and ambiance, now in the evening. However, when we sat down, a waitress approached us, greeted, smacked down the menus and left. My son, now confused with the wine list in front of him. From that point, several things were disastrous, but only two will be mentioned.

Upon her return, my wife ordered a bottle of red wine. Five minutes later she returns with a glass of white wine. My wife indicates that this is not what she ordered. The waitress responds with, "ohhh, your ordered the red one ....." The red one, seriously, which red one?" She starts making her way to the kitchen when my wife asks, "which red one are you bringing me". "Uhhhh, I can't remember" she says. My wife had to show her again from the menu as she cannot even pronounce the wine. From there as mentioned were many distastes, including bring a fish basket ...... with no fish, just fries.

The Effect

If I had experienced the evening waiter first, I would never have returned to that restaurant. The same applies to receptionists, salesman, info desk attendants, etc. Computer shop salesmen are the best. When asked whether a certain product can do this or that, they pick up the box and start reading, similar to what I could have done.

What You Should Do.

The following are some broad spectrum high level pointers for your area:

• Train your FLP broadly in every area of your business, the value chain and supporting processes. They need not know the detail, but they need to know where to refer customers.

• FLP should treat every person coming through the door like the only customer there is, even if they come to fix the air conditioner.

• FLP should be presentable and reflect the image of your business. Unless you are the owner of a chewing gum factory, chewing bubblegum is out. Weird hairstyles and the freedom of expression, can be expressed elsewhere, where it is suitable. This is not discrimination, it just doesn't fit with your image. While hair, piercings, tattoos etc does not affect intelligence or work performance, it does have an impact on first impressions as you have no control over the views and opinions of people entering your business, so keep it neutral, unless you run a tattoo parlour etc.

• Have a standard telephone greeting and response procedure. Be courteous and address the caller as Sir or Ma'm, never "oom of tannie (uncle & aunt). When engaging with a customer, neutral is key, but all around the key is the mechanism of emotional intelligence, calm, tone of voice, and body language. FLP cannot bring their problems to work, as they have nowhere to hide them, no office with closed doors somewhere at the back of a factory or busy office block.

• FLP need to be trained and competent in communication skills, from listening, understanding, and reflecting the needs of the customer. Each customer needs to hear and see that the FLP has understood their requirements and are doing their utmost best so satisfy the customer. They need to know how to handle a difficult customer, understanding that the customer is not being difficult due to them, but rather at the service or company.

Front Line Staff training, re-training, assessments, mystery shoppers etc. is critical to your business image.

Please comment or engage with us for any further detailed information, training, systems, etc.

www.thecompliancegroup.co.za

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