EMPLOYEE TRAINING | Being New is No Excuse

I’m sick and tired of dealing with “new” employees who don’t know their job. At a local restaurant I frequent, when something goes wrong, I tell them. I was at the counter paying my bill when the “hostess” asked very politely, “and how was everything this evening?” I said It was very good, except…” I won’t go into the details, however, I will tell you it was a small issue involving an unexplainable charge for fifty cents. She then looked at me with total blankness, obviously not expecting any answer other than “Oh…it was great, thank you for asking.” She had no idea what to do, who to talk to, or how to respond. So, she said, “Oh, sorry, I’m a new employee and I don’t know” and proceeded to ring up my bill. The moment was as uncomfortable for her as it was for me. She gets 10 points for being honest, but loses all 10 for not taking any initiative. She was simply among the ranks of those we call “new employees.”

I feel empathy for new employees. Is it their fault? No. Is it their problem? No. Can they do something about it? No. But can they take responsibility for learning more about what their job is? Yes…well…maybe. If your business involves dealing with customers face to face or on the telephone, and you hire employees to have these “interactions” with customers, you have to take responsibility. Give these good people a little help. It’s an old cliché I know, but it’s true, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” How many new or potential clients do you lose because of this? Isn’t just one, too many?

You don’t (necessarily) have to set up a rigorous “new employee” training program, but at least have an outline of the core products and services you offer. Teach all your employees (new and seasoned) about each. Maybe you can delegate this responsibility. Add a little about your philosophy on how you run your business. Do you negotiate prices? Do you take refunds (if you don’t…why not)? Is customer service a high priority (sure, we all say it is), and what are you willing to give away to maintain a satisfied customer? Share this philosophy with your staff. Then give them the final touches; how do you want them to dress, answer the phone, greet people at the counter, take transactions, take orders, and so on. Go through all the main components of your business and help them to be a good service provider. Don’t leave it to chance!

The truth is, your employees probably want to do a good job of satisfying customers. I know it’s important to you. We all know it’s important to your customers. Let’s face it, competition is stiff out there, it’s one way you can differentiate yourself from your competition.