 The
Playful Policy Review
This
bizarre report arrived from a perturbed customer in
Asia:
‘I wanted to play golf at a prestigious course
in town, so I went to the Pro-Shop to book a time.
‘The attendant at the counter said she could not
take my booking in person as she was only allowed to
accept golf reservations by telephone.
‘I explained that I wanted to make a booking right
away. And since I was already there, wouldn’t
she please make the reservation?
‘The attendant refused once again, repeating that
she only took bookings by telephone.
‘A public telephone stood in the corner nearby.
I walked over to it and promptly called the Pro-Shop.
The attendant answered the telephone and proceeded to
make my booking. The entire time I could see her at
the counter while we were speaking on the phone. And
she could see me, too.’
This makes me wonder: If the customer had used his mobile
phone to call the reservations clerk while he was standing
directly in front of her, then would she have seen the
absurdity of her ways? And if she did, would she have
told her managers about it? Or made a suggestion to
change it?
Most likely, not.
Key Learning Point
Frontline staff are taught to follow policies and procedures.
Often they are hesitant to `break the rules'. Yet some
rules should be broken, or changed, or at least seriously
bent from time to time. Are your staff bound by rules
they cannot change? If those rules are outdated or problematic,
will they tell you?
Action Steps
Bring your staff
together in a mood of irreverent fun for a `Playful Policy
Review'. Do something unusual to set the tone: wear party
hats, bring a cake to share, show five minutes of a stand-up
comedian on video, put a funny sign in front of the room,
or use bright magic markers with flipchart paper on the
wall.
Make a list (in advance) of key policies and procedures
your staff must work with every day. Go through the list
with your staff asking two questions: `What do you
like least about this policy (or procedure)?' and
`What do our customers find most problematic about
this policy?'
Write everything down. Keep the mood light and easy in
a spirit of playful review. If you wish, ask a third question:
`How would you change this policy if you could?'
After the meeting, carefully study the list, taking one
of two key actions:
1. Modify the policy to eliminate or reduce the friction.
If your staff have made good points and reasonable suggestions,
implementing those changes will boost efficiency, responsibility
and staff morale.
2. If the policy cannot be changed (and there may be good
reasons not to: security, credit risk, government requirements,
etc.), take the time to explain the rationale of the current
system to your staff. Be sure they understand it so well
that they can explain it in a positive and convincing
manner to someone else. After all, this is exactly what
they should do every day with your customers.
Next Article in Customer Service Measurements >>
How Hot is Our Service?
First Article in Customer Service Mindset >>
Leave This Place Better Than You Found It
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