In-Store Connections: How to Teach Employees Better Customer Service

22 Oct, 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

To attract customers, you have to set your business apart from all others in your industry. You can accomplish this by making your products or services spectacular, but attractive offerings only make up one part of the equation. You also have to make your clientele feel welcome by providing better customer service.

Look through the tips below to improve your customer service skills and your employees’ skills as well. Together, you and your staff can transform your company into a business customers adore.

Don’t Neglect Online Customers

Every modern company needs an online presence. But you can’t just stop at a website. You also have to give customers a way to interact with your business over the Internet. Your online customers likely have more questions than people who visit your store, so use a service like Enterprise instant messaging (preferably on your website) and social media platforms to give your clientele someone to contact.

You don’t have to have a presence on every social media website, but make sure you at least use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Hire a team or a third-party partner to handle these online interactions for you. Make sure they are trained to know how to handle all questions they might encounter.

Don’t Waste Time on Distractions

When business gets slow, you and your employees might feel tempted to chat, watch movies, play games, or do things that distract you from the storefront or the sales floor. But you cannot give in to this temptation. Have your employees on alert at all times so they can welcome customers to your business and ask them if they need assistance. You’ll likely have fewer frustrated shoppers with this strategy.

Ask Every Customer If There’s Anything You Can Do to Help Him or Her

Even if a customer looks like they simply want to browse, your employees should still greet them and ask if they can be of assistance. A smile and greeting show customers you care about their opinion, and they’ll more likely turn into repeat customers as a result. Additionally, if you ask every customer if he or she needs help, no shopper will leave dissatisfied.

Remember to Treat Each Customer with Respect—Be Genuine

You’ll likely see a few angry customers from time to time. They may have had a bad day, or maybe had a bad experience with a product or service. But not matter what they say or do, you have to treat them with respect. Teach your employees to exercise patience and understanding. Teach them to smile and stay calm and courteous in the face of anger.

When your employees treat your clientele with respect, they can resolve many emotional problems. And even if they can’t fix problems, they can at least avoid making them worse.

Have an Intimate Knowledge of Products and Services

Sometimes customers feel frustrated because they ask the staff questions and get lackluster answers. Train each of your employees on every aspect of your business so they can answer every question thoroughly.

Customer service plays an important role in your business’s success. Boost your company’s ratings and revenue by implementing the tips in this list.

Employee Retention – How to Keep Your Top Performers

09 Sep, 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Chances are that you know or have seen people that are self-driven.  They work well with others and they excel at their job.  They’re not clock watchers, they want to excel at everything they do, and they always strive to exceed expectations.  Due to their reputation of striving for excellence, they have created an extensive network of cross-connecting with like-minded people and businesses, and their networks continue to grow in size and quality.  They’re the ones that everyone wants, and recruiters (or “headhunters”) can’t wait to connect with them.  When you have outstanding employees of this magnitude, there is always the concern of losing them, especially to competitors.  So the question remains, how do I keep my top performers?  In order to delve into this subject matter further, you must first be aware that your perspective of whom your top performers are might be quite different than someone else’s opinion.  So, be prepared to back-up your opinion with facts, and be able to express them in a private and/or group setting, and in written form.  Remember, you being able to identify top performers can also make you a valuable asset, and yes, a top performer.

Identifying Your Top Performers. 

In order to identify your top performers, you must first be engaged with your staff, and spending time finding what they feel is working well, their concerns, and positive/negative feedback.  They need to feel connected to you and to the company’s purpose (or vision) in order for them to feel comfortable opening up and sharing.  So, build those relationships with your staff and you will build more trust.  After striving for more open communication, you may find out amazing things.   There are instances where managers assume that one employee was responsible for a great idea, problem-solving a customer service issue, or coming up with huge solution to an existing problem, only to find out that someone took credit where credit wasn’t due.  You will also get a better indication of how people within your business react with one another.  Who is spreading negativity, who is spreading gossip?  More importantly, who works well in a team environment?  So, first and foremost, create and nurture those relationships.  Remember, communication is key.

Now that you know who your top performers are, you can better address ways to retain them.   In order to address this challenge, let’s flip it over and look at this from the top performer’s perspective:

What are their needs? 

People are driven by many different motives and what you may assume drives them, may not be it at all.  This is where you need to start digging.  Make sure you’re having informal conversations with these performers; get to know how they tick.  At times, you may want to take them out to lunch, have some one-on-one time with them, and find out what it is that they really want.  Do they enjoy working with the business?  Why or why not?   Figure out what additional training may be beneficial to them and to your company.  Are they looking at your company as potential for long-term growth? What are their short-term and long-term goals?   If not, when you identify what it is that they want, you can better guide them on this path within your organization. What would motivate them to want to stay longer?  Are they open to continuing education?  Would your company reimburse for approved courses.  As they receive more expertise, they should be able to use it in their current job, and/or along their stated career path within your company.  What’s the best part of their job?  Their worst?  Share a little about yourself and ask them to share a little about them.  Find out what do they like to do for fun?  When you are asking and sharing, you can find out what their “whys” are and understand its importance to them.  Share the good qualities that you see in them. 

Do your business needs and their needs match up? 

No one can see into the future, but it’s important that your outstanding employees see that they are being groomed for better things.  They may not remain if there isn’t a clear path to greater opportunities.  So, what are you making available to them?  We’ve already discussed extra training, and now is a great time to expose them to the next level of work, to get the flavor of it.  You can see how they are responding to this and they are assessing if this is, in fact what they really want too. Continue to keep their goals in front of you both and keep the lines of communication open.

Be a visionary. 

Paint a vision of where you see them in one year and in five years.  Remind them of the opportunities in your company and connect it to their vision. 

Perks.  Who doesn’t like perks?  A gift card for two to a special dinner, a couple of tickets to their favorite sports team game, an afternoon off so they can go see a play their child is performing in.  Raises may or may not be available but potential bonuses might be.  Explore different areas and gear them toward their unique perspective. 

Name Recognition.  When they do something great, make sure you bring it up in the next meeting when appropriate.  Introduce them to higher ups in the company so interaction naturally happens.  Invite them to your LinkedIn.  And, what a great time to ask them if they know of anyone else that might be interested in the company.  Top performers know other top performers.

At the end of the day, the more an employee sees that you know who they are, appreciate what they do, open up opportunities and connections for them, and paint the same vision, the more chance you’ll have of retaining those top performers.

Online Tools To Improve Hotel Management

10 Aug, 2015 |

Time is a valuable commodity in today’s fast-paced world. Unfortunately, the tasks that fill up the day of a hotel manager or employee are time-consuming with little room for any additional activities. When feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to remember the virtual tools designed to make these jobs simpler than ever. With these simple, but effective tools, hotels can be more effective at their daily operations. These tips provide effective ways to manage time and tasks efficiently. 


Online Reputation Management Systems


Each hotel’s reputation has a significant effect on their reservations. Additionally, one of the primary ways that hotels develop a reputation is through online reviews. Many managers are tasked with protecting the hotel’s online reputation, a job that may seem overwhelming. However, there are several excellent tools that make it easy to monitor an online presence. Google Alerts, for example, is a free tool that can be used to track where the hotel is mentioned across the internet. Social Mention and Who’s Talkin are also effective tools to manage online reputations and track what people are saying. Take advantage of these tools to streamline part of the day. 


From booking to sales, a hospitality property management software system is the key to avoiding problems on a daily basis. There are hundreds of systems available today so look through each one available to find the best option for the property. Examples of what these systems do include managing reservations, tracking costs, and training employees. Larger hotels may need an all-inclusive suite that covers all areas of hospitality whereas small hotels can get by with smaller systems. However, be sure to find a system that covers all areas needed for effective daily operations. This system takes some time to set up and learn. However, it can save hours of time and help increase staff efficiency and productivity as well, helping managers to keep costs low. 


Hotel Scheduling Software


Trying to schedule employees is a challenge, but today’s managers can streamline the process with hotel scheduling software readily available. This software can be used to track number of employees needed and how to schedule employees for the maximum productivity. It can be used to plan for vacation coverage as well and takes much of the guesswork out of scheduling. These software programs are used by managers in almost every area and with good reason. For hotels that have even small hotel staffing needs, these programs reduce employee mistakes and increase productivity significantly. Even the most organized of managers is going to make some mistakes which can be harmful for the hotel and its reputation. Keep the process simple by investing in this scheduling software. They’re an inexpensive way to run daily operations and employees. 


Online Inventory Systems


Hotels go through a huge amount of inventory each year. From the complementary soaps to the towels that guests keep taking, it’s not always easy to know when to reorder products. While each hotel uses a different system of ordering, hotel inventory systems are a good way to track and re-order products as needed. Use a complete hotel inventory system to simplify the complexities of hotel room stocking. Even regular employees can be involved in the process by inputting how much stock they use each day to make the process as easy as possible. Having a virtual inventory system also takes the guesswork out of the process and some even automatically place orders as needed. While this system provides benefits for almost every hotel, it is an essential part of larger hotels. 


Clocking In/Out Programs


This is a small aspect of productivity, but can make a difference in most hotels, especially larger ones. Many managers are frustrated with having to deal with employee clocking in and out. One of the best ways to monitor which employees clock in and out on time is to have a time clock which collects the data and sends it to an online system where it can be tracked. This allows management to see which employees constantly show up late or leave early. While simple, it can help to catch smaller problems in the hotel system.
These tools offer significant methods to prevent error and increase productivity. Consider adding these tools to the hotel system to improve workflow on a daily basis.

Why Every Restaurant Needs to Use Scheduling Software

06 Aug, 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

It’s pretty easy to see that communication is a necessity to any thriving business.  In today’s economy, it’s paramount to have a step-up in your communication whenever possible. The restaurant business can be brutal at times, with small margins and long hours, not to mention all the variables that can quickly turn a successful start to a day into an understaffed nightmare!  Keeping a large crowd waiting too long at the hostess station and you may have just lost potential customers forever.  Between understaffed waiters/waitresses, tables that need to be cleared, food orders getting cold, and special customer requests, many times managers and their employees alike can quickly feel the stress of the situation, and that’s not good for anyone!  That’s where innovative technology comes into play.

Share the Load

Using staff scheduling software can lighten a manager’s load considerably by

  • allowing managers to have the ability to create their schedules from home, if they choose, instead of in the midst of all the commotion in their backroom
  • managers no longer need to cater to all those interruptions from employees asking when they are scheduled to work next
  • they won’t be inundated with scraps of paper with handwritten notes trying to decipher when their employee is requesting some time off
  • since now the employee is responsible for adding their own requests directly into the system, if you try to schedule this employee during an unavailable time, a pop-up will remind you about their request
  • when it’s time to schedule that team meeting, it takes the guesswork and out of wondering if you’ve contacted everyone because now, it’s only a button click away

Think of all the time you’ll save by not having to rewrite a schedule over and over again! 

Employee Approved

Your employees will love using the online employee schedule system too!  They’ll be able to

  • access their schedule via smartphone, or simply check online; no more time wondering when the schedule is completed, or having to run back up to the restaurant to check the board
  • input their own requests for time off, eliminating potential disagreements or friction; no more keeping your fingers crossed in hopes that your manager remembers your request
  • receive reminders for when you’re scheduled to work; no more awkward feelings, wondering if you should call work to find out, or just show up and hope you were scheduled   

The Bar

Another important area of a restaurant that cannot be overemphasized is the bar. If a bartender doesn’t show up due to a lack of communication this can cause a potential great loss in revenue to everyone involved. Using a streamlined bar scheduling software can open up lines of communication and increase a restaurants profits substantially by

  • having each bartender’s hours specifically laid out in such a way that meets everyone’s needs; bars typically open during later hours, and bartenders are typically balancing many schedules throughout their day
  • bartender’s having the ability to put in requests from their smartphone or computer saving them time, and better organizing their daily schedule which expands communication
  • increasing profit margins by keeping the bar open on time and keeping those drinks filled; generating greater profits for everyone
  • keeping the highest profit margin available means that employee hours don’t get cut; everyone in the restaurant can be affected by this    

Now, everything goes directly into the system, all in one, easy to use place!

The folks at WhatTimeDoIWork.com have made a huge impact to help you save time, improve even the best communication, all while saving you money.  This new innovative scheduling software didn’t happen overnight.  It was developed by experts with over thirty years of scheduling experience who took the time to sit down and listen to what managers and their employees both needed and wanted to become more successful.  Taking all their data into consideration, this team has developed a polished system where everything transpires in one place and can be accessed any time, day or night, from any place in the world.  They have produced the gift of giving you less stress and making life easier, while at the same time allowing you more time to work on those other important tasks for your business, you know, the ones listed under all those other papers that you can now throw away!

Building A “Two Pizza” Team

28 Jul, 2015 |

We have a deadline, and it’s looking like we may not meet it, so what do we do? Throw bodies at it! Get more people involved! If two people can’t finish project in time, maybe 7 people can!

It seems to make sense on paper, but really when it comes down to successfully completing a job, more bodies makes work more chaotic. Then the real question is: Do more bodies really make a more efficient team?

The Two Pizza Rule

Enter the man who is known for saying things like “Communication is terrible!” You may not be familiar with his name, Jeff Bezos, but you are probably familiar with the company he founded: Amazon. Bezos is known for many accomplishments, but people can’t stop talking about his “two pizza team” rule. His idea is based on the notion that if a team can’t be fed with two pizzas, the team is too large, and thus rendered completely inefficient. So it really boils down to this: communication is terrible, but only if the team is too large to communicate.

So with the two pizza rule, consider you’re invited to a large dinner banquet, do you: a) mingle for a very short amount of time with each and every individual banquet guest or b) find a rather small group of individuals you know and spend the entirety of the evening talking to them? The great probability is that you’ll choose to do the latter and spend the evening having meaningful conversation with a small group of friends.

Did you know that a small study was conducted to test the small verse large team idea? Larger teams tend to be overconfident because of their size, and they think their abilities as a large skilled group will make them more successful. However in the study piloted by Bradly Staats, Katherine Milkman, and Craig Fox, they discovered that the two person teams took only thirty-six minutes to completed Lego building task. That same Lego building task took the four person teams fifty-two minutes to complete. Just in case you can’t do quick math, the four person teams took 44% more time to complete the task at hand. Makes you rethink throwing bodies at problems, doesn’t it?

Magic Number Five

Jeff Bezos two pizza rule works out so that a team should be no smaller than five people and no larger than seven. This creates less communication links within the team. The smaller team also helps create a greater level of accountability within the team. Also, within larger teams, Bezos found that many individuals weren’t sure who to communicate with when they hit a wall. Smaller teams create fewer barriers when it comes to communicating the project on a daily basis.

When you take a survey of your current team, are you employing bodies or are you carefully employing individuals who will work and communicate with each other to get a job done? Your team is your right hand, and the failure or success to your company. Take into account your employees and the size of teams that will make them the most productive and efficient. Bring two large Pizza Hut pizzas to the office, and if your team isn’t fed… then according to Jeff Bezos, maybe you should rethink the size of your team.

Despite the size of your time, few measures you can take to make sure that there isn’t any added friction. Team/Employee Scheduling software like the ones we have here at What Time Do I Work will help ensure that your two pizza team can continue to run smoothly.