Have you really thought about how you'd like your teams to engage with visitors? Just because it comes naturally to you doesn't mean it will to everyone else.
I am the queen of chit-chat! As an extrovert, building connections with people comes naturally, but over the years I've learned that it isn't the same for everyone.
And yet, as leaders we don't always consider this when we choose our front-line staff. We can be guilty of just assuming the chat is an obvious part of customer service and talk about it in the same sentence as we refer to efficiency or quality, but they need different skills.
I don't think you can train someone to chat. Yes, you can give them scripts or the cues to look out for and they can be skilful conversationalists, but having the confidence to chat is just in-built and we need to look for those people who have mastered the art when we are recruiting for those roles.
That doesn't mean the thoughtful, considered approach isn't needed. The queen of chit-chat doesn't work for everyone - as I've discovered to my cost!
The truth is we need both, but we need to consider more carefully where we place people, allowing them to be themselves while enabling the best experience possible for both them and our visitors.
Have you considered who you really need when you're recruiting front-line teams? You can change the experience you deliver when you get that right. I have recruitment experience in getting the right people - and the wrong ones on occasions. Let's talk about it.
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