When you receive a letter from a customer commending your service or an employee, what do you do with it? Mention it to the employee? Stick it if a file? Or, do you put it on display for the world to see?
Most managers pass the note along to the employee and maybe even mention it to other employees at a meeting. Strangely enough, few ever call the customer to thank them. Fewer still, take the time to get permission from the author to put the letter on display publicly. Yes, in front of everyone, employees and other customers, too!
I know of businesses that have customer corners, where they select a “Letter of the Month”, have it enlarged to poster size and put the letter on display, (with the author’s last name and address omitted), for all to see. Why? It makes the employees feel great. It lets other customers know that you value their feedback. It even encourages feedback. Imagine that… customers hoping to get the coveted “Letter of the Month” spot. Of course, they’ll have to come in to see… maybe spend some money while they’re there, or even bring a friend.
Simple? You bet. Easy? You bet. Powerful? You bet. Excluding the cost of the easel, you’re investing about $6 to make everyone who works with your customers feel better about the job they’re doing. Your employees will be able to identify exactly what was done that pleased the customer. It even encourages them to extend themselves more to all your customers.
If you have a customer satisfaction measurement program in place and your scores are high, (90%+), consider posting those, too. Conversely, if you have lower scores, don’t post those in customer view. I was in a national retailer the other day and noticed that they had posted a large sign, behind the cashiers, that said, “SUPER SATISFACTION SCORE: 61.2%” Wow! That means that I have a 40% chance of being dissatisfied. I counted the folks in my line; there were 10 of us – who would be the lucky four? Maybe I should look down the street where my odds will be better. I mentioned this to the cashier and he sheepishly looked at me and said, “That’s so we will remember to do better.” I can’t think of a better way to destroy your employee’s motivation than to publicly flog them. For the record, there’s nothing “super” or amazing about a score of 61%, except that the manager of the store still has a store at all.
So, the next time you get a complimentary letter from a customer, consider posting it for all to see. You’ll be surprised at the immediate positive impact it will have.
