Irritants: Eliminating Disconnects

As a business leader, there are many obligations you manage on a daily basis.  Some of the tools you use are the policies you have in place, in order to keep the day organized and in control.  Ask yourself, are the current policies and even the procedures which guide your staff each day, the right tools for today?  When was the last time you looked over every rule of the business to see if they protect you, or if they keep customers away from your business?  Are these rules the proper guideposts to help you and your team manage successfully in 2012?  Because this business is a game to your customers, are you operating with a sense of fun and friendship?  Are the current set of rules helping your business or causing serious but unseen damage, by providing a real lack of humanity in the service experience?

When many businesses begin, there are few rules and regulations.  As sales grow along with customer traffic, the business experiences issues both with staff and a few customers.  Over many years rules are put in place to protect the organization from people absolutely meant to cause harm.  It has been my experience that a few people will always be out to get the business and gain advantage, however I believe that might be 2-3% of the total traffic in a business.  Yes, you must work daily to protect the business assets from the bad folks, but your larger obligation should be to the vast majority of customers who only want a great experience and value for their time and money spent.

I suggest you do a policy audit in the near future.  It seems to me that so many businesses have rules in place for years, built for reasons no one can remember.  Are these rules causing your customers to stay away from your course or business?  The rules always seems to stay in place long after the bad people have gone away.  Here are 5 simple tips that may help you reset the standards in your business in order to build a greater experience for all.

• Take quiet time over several days to review the employee manual, the policy and procedure manuals, and any training documents, asking yourself the question: are these rules and standards helping or hurting my business today?
• Review these same documents with your senior leadership, asking for straightforward opinions.  Allow each to provide their information without any repercussions
• Start fresh in looking to build a business action plan that allows your team the opportunity to create excellence each day and at the same time includes protections for the business, the staff, and every customer.  Be certain to include social media guidelines
• Make sure all standards comply with state and federal regulations
• Build fun, joy, and passion into the day to day.  Allow your team to try things that will help your business grow.  Build yes into your guest experience.  Customers feel good inside a great business.  Be that business!

Eliminate the disconnects in your business.  Create standards that allow staff to grow, while providing excellence to your customers.  Great service goes beyond the rule books!