Be Consistent
Sharon Koehler
Stone Industry Consultant
AS we all know, over the last couple of years, things have changed for businesses and employees… A LOT! Some employees must show up for work every day. Some may be hybrid, working a few days in the office and the rest from home. Others may be all remote, and there may even be some job sharing. Over the last couple of years, employees may have changed positions or left the company all together. New employees have been hired, but because of the worker shortage, it’s possible that the company just “filled” an open position with someone that isn’t quite as knowledgeable as other long-term employees. Or maybe the business hired someone from a different shop, and they don’t do things the same way your business does. All of this change can lead to some confusion in consistency.
A very common scenario is that the salesperson will tell the customer one thing, but when the lead installer is on the job, he may say something different. Both people may be right, but it confuses the customer.
Maybe your helper came from a different shop and told the customer something that isn’t right or doesn’t happen in your shop. Then, either the lead installer must step in and correct him, or the customer calls the shop and relates what the helper said, and the salesperson is on the spot because it wasn’t the information he relayed to the customer, at all.
Possibly, your receptionist said something to the customer, but the templater said something completely different when he was on the job. All this confusion can not only cause tension between employees, but can make your company look unprofessional to your customers, as well. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
Great idea, but how?
The question is, “How do you get there?” How does everyone get on the same page? The only way that happens is with communication. The thing is, sometimes the newbies aren’t confident enough to voice their thoughts, or longer-term employees think they know better than newer employees. Getting everyone on the same page is a must, but truthfully, it may be a process.
Think about setting aside some time for a team building event. There are plenty of team building exercises that focus on different areas.
Getting to know everyone can be done with a group juggle or a group 2 Truths and a Lie. These exercises will help everyone get to know each other. Some communication exercises are scavenger hunt or perfect square. Problem solving issues can be addressed with activities like an escape room, board games or problem-solving scenarios. There are also exercises for creative thinking, bonding, values, skills, and just about anything else you can think of. Include everyone possible: warehouse personnel, team leaders, supervisors, managers – and don’t forget about remote employees. Include them whenever possible. (Some activities like 2 Truths and a Lie can be done with a Zoom participant).
Good communication is the end goal.
Once everyone is familiar with each other, then good communication can start. This does not necessarily mean one on one communication. It’s not your salesperson talking to your receptionist, or your fabrication person talking to a remote employee. A helper shouldn’t be answering billing questions, receptionists probably should not try to answer install questions, and salespeople might not be qualified to answer template questions.
What it does mean is everyone getting together and having a frank discussion (aka meeting). Decide as a team how you want to answer questions that arise in the field, as well as in the office.
If you are in the field and a customer has an invoicing question, it’s not enough to just say, “Call the office.” While that is a helpful answer, it leaves unanswered questions for the customer. What is more helpful is to say “Call the office at ***-***-**** and ask for Sue at extension ***. She is our receivables manager, and she can help you.”
If a call comes into the office, it’s not enough to say “He/she isn’t here, can I take a message?” Give more information. He/she is off today but will be back tomorrow. May I put you through to that extension so you can leave a message?” If you don’t inform the person on the other end, they may get aggravated to not receive a call back in what they consider is a timely manner, when in actuality, if they had that information, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal. Information is the key to good communication.
Everyone wants to help everyone else, but no one can answer every single question. Decide who the correct person is to answer all kinds of questions. If Sue does your invoicing, then she can answer invoicing/billing questions. Should she not be available, then the salesperson/estimator who did the pricing may be of help. Once you decide who answers what, decide on a backup in case the lead person isn’t available. There may be a backup, or there may not. Either way, consistency is the key. Share with everyone who answers what, and make sure all contact information is part of the information.
Also, make sure everyone uses the same phone etiquette and greeting when answering the phone. Obviously, just answering hello is not the way to go. However, you don’t want one person saying “Hello, ABC Company” while someone else says “Thank you for calling ABC Company. This is Mary. How may I direct your call?”
Communication is the key to your consistency. It keeps employees on the same page, eliminates confusion, and helps with customer relations as well. You may have to work at it, and it may take a while, but it’s worth the effort.
Please send your thoughts and comments on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharonk.SRG@gmail.com .