Want to build a company culture that consistently WOWs customers? These three words are the keys to motivating your team to deliver unforgettable customer experiences:
Incent, Inspire, and Empower
Incent. Rewarding employees isn’t new; but what exactly are you incentivizing? Take a moment to think about the outcomes you’d like to see.
When Ruby first started, we factored in the usual criteria into employee reviews — attendance, timeliness, productivity — but there was nothing about the core of what we do: Making stellar first impressions and cultivating real, meaningful connections. How was our staff to know? We overhauled our review process to ensure every employee is familiar with what we value most from day one.
Inspire. We’re big fans of storytelling. We share every compliment that comes in, from “You have a great voice!” to “A client just signed up with me because he said my receptionist was so nice!” We even share the best stories at our quarterly staff meeting (and the very best of the best gets a cash prize!).
Sharing stories can inspire your team, showing them what spectacular things others have done and what they can do to join in.
Empower. Once your team knows what you’re looking for and is excited to create their own stories to share…let ’em! Give them the tools to make it happen and the freedom to make judgment calls on behalf of your customers and your company.
For example, Ruby has a prepaid Amazon account where any employee can purchase something to brighten a client’s day or solve a problem, no questions asked. It’s led to many impactful gifts and lasting connections!
Once your employees have the right direction, inspiration, and knowledge that you trust them, they’ll exceed your every expectation!
