Have you ever hired someone who had experience in a particular job only to find out they didn’t know how to do it? Every company has different systems, procedures, methods, and ways of doing things. It’s part of the company’s environment. It’s up to you, the owner, to create the environment of your company.
It’s your job to make sure everyone is clear about what they’re signing on for. It’s your job to make sure they know how things are done. And it’s your job to make sure they’re doing it. This may sound a bit tough, if you want your business to actualize your vision then you will do what it takes to make that occur, otherwise it won’t. It’s as simple as that. Let me tell you a story about accountability. The other day I was in the retail/reception area of a salon waiting for my son who was getting a haircut. Mind you, this salon is well known in the neighborhood, beautifully designed, etc. As I was waiting, one of the stylists came up to the front desk and told the other stylists who were there (there were three of them on duty) not to come and find her before seating the client, but to seat the client
first. She asked them to offer them a beverage and then come to find her. This may or may not have been the salon protocol for handling a client, I was put off by the whole thing. This sort of behavior in public is destructive to the business. I could have been a new client who was waiting to be seen. I know people can do so much better. They can have much more pride in their work, no matter what the position. However, it all starts with leadership. Moreover, leadership starts with how you think, your point of view. Since I have been dealing with salons for nearly my entire career, I knew immediately that there was a salon system breakdown. Wanting to confirm my hunch, I casually asked one of the front desk people if she was new on the job. She said that it was her first week. Having decided to play salon sleuth, I created an opportunity to talk with another front desk person (a more senior one) and after asking her what retail would be right for me, I asked her about the incident. She sighed, then I asked her if there was a training manual that they use for new people. She really couldn’t recall. THIS IS
ONE OF Salon Today’s TOP 200 SALONS! I hope you get where I’m taking this. These folks, as nice as they may have been, didn’t have a clue
about customer service. More than that, I’d bet that if you asked the front desk what their job is they’d say, “to book appointments,” and technically they’re right. It’s just that booking appointments is a function of the job and not what I’d call a result statement of that position. Here’s the thing. It’s not their fault that they don’t know about customer service. It’s the owner’s fault. It is his responsibility to make sure they have systems (including training systems) in place so that everyone knows what they have to do
and how to do it. Furthermore, I know that this company is struggling with its retail sales and with its retention. There is an old Sicilian saying which is, “the fish stinks from the head down.”