Back to the floor

By: Sharon Clapp

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn

As a Manager myself, I would never expect my staff to do anything I would not do myself.

Sometimes Managers, Directors, CEO's etc. sit in their ivory towers and wait for information about what's going on in the coal face to filter through.

What's wrong with 'going back to the floor' and mucking in yourself? Companies and executives that adopt this attitude will have a much closer relationship with their customers, staff and a much clearer focus on the customer experience itself.

• Don't let the staff know you are coming – that way they won't prepare and you will get a true picture of what's going on.
• Roll your sleeves up and muck in – answer the phone; talk to your customers; talk to your staff; make the coffee…whatever is needed.

What will you get out of it?

• Service delivery – A chance to see how things are working first-hand. Your staff may see an issue or a fix to a problem, or even an improvement that you may not have thought about or even are aware of and have previously not felt empowered enough to suggest.
• Customer Experience – It will give you direct feedback on what clients (and staff) are actually saying on a daily basis and show up possible areas of improvement.
• Staff engagement – Will make the team feel part of a family and empower them.
• Recognition – Being on hand to hand out praise and thank your staff, and for you to step out of your comfort zone and appreciate the staff and company you have.

What have you got to lose?

Customer Experience should be at the heart of your business. Working with us at Investor in Customers will give you an independent and external verification of the service you deliver. Contact us to find out more.