05.30.11
Tacos & Empowering Employees?
One of the highlights of living in San Diego is authentic Mexican food on most street corners. Taco Tuesdays are popular because a two dollar taco is on special for $.99- at least that is what the sign advertised outside one eating establishment. Several other friends and I piled into the taco shop to place our order for this great deal of the week. Our excitement over cheap tacos was short lived.
“Sorry sir but we no longer have that special.”
“But your sign shows it is still on special.”
“Sorry sir but we no longer have that special.”
“So will you honor it since you are still advertising it?”
“Sorry sir but we no longer have that special. I don’t know how to do a discount on the cash register.”
“Can you contact the owner or manager?”
“Uhhh. No. He doesn’t want to be bothered.”
Now, it was a matter of principle so instead of paying for the two dollar taco, we settled for a much healthier meal at KFC.
As I left my friends, I thought to myself. Here was an employee that had not been empowered or trained by the owner of the taco shop. The result was a loss of business that day and a poor feeling toward the company.
Are your employees empowered to make decisions? When a customer contacts a company they generally want an answer quickly. It is important to have systems in place so employees know what they can and can’t do. Waiting two to three days for an answer can be a deal breaker. In today’s fast paced environment, there are too many options and the customer may be losing their opportunity to close a sale. Here are a few items to consider to ensure customers can receive accurate and rapid responses.
· Give employees a range of pricing options they are qualified to offer a customer
· When special approval is needed on pricing or other questions, have a clearly defined contact person who is usually available. Having a backup contact for that person is also helpful.
· Train employees to process discounts, claims, etc. so these issues don’t get lost in the day to day operations.
The next time you take a bite of an authentic, greasy, delicious taco, remember the lesson of empowering your employees.
Regards,
Brian Boek
