Can you feel it . . . can you feel it . . . can you feel it . . . By Director Wayne Hall

December 31, 2008

Recently I had an encounter with a business which brought home to me (once again) the importance of not just being able to see the big picture, but to “feel” it.

It involved staying at a large hotel, where despite the fact that everyone carried out their allotted tasks perfectly, it simply didn’t work. The most obvious sign that this was the case occurred at breakfast time, where guests often waited up to twenty minutes to be seated, despite there being plenty of seating on hand. And if the sheer wait wasn’t frustrating enough, the fact that one could see the empty tables was enough to tip some guests to breaking point.

‘Why can’t we sit down?’
‘Sorry sir, the tables aren’t ready’
‘When will they be?’
‘Should be fairly soon sir’
‘You said that 10 minutes ago . . . mumble mumble’
 
Not a pleasant way to start the day - for staff or patrons . . .

I have no doubt the cook was on the job . . . so too the waiting staff and the hostess (though the latter was “copping a bit” from the guests). The problem was that no one person had been charged with the responsibility of bringing it all together - of experiencing and responding to the service as a guest would experience it.

Not unexpectedly, the dysfunctional feel to the place extended to other areas. Various staff couldn’t recommend a restaurant, or advise how much a taxi fare to the airport might cost . . . or whether the wireless internet in the foyer was a free service or not - and weren’t interested in finding out. An insular attitude pervaded:  ‘We do what we’re paid to do, what more do you want?’

Attitude in a business is contagious. In the case where there is a lack of direction or prevailing action which breaks the cycle, staff copy the actions and attitude of others. A pattern of behaviour becomes a trend and - if not arrested - a culture. In these situations people ARE doing the best they can, but they are caught up in their world (the process) and not the customer’s (the outcome).

But back to the breakfast area . . .
For any person standing in the queue (anyone who gave it more then 30 seconds thought, that is) the problem was readily apparent - resource allocation. There were not enough staff preparing vacated tables for waiting diners. A slight change to the task make-up of the staff on the job, along with charging someone (probably the hostess) with the responsibility of managing the area, and the problem would have been solved. In other words, a $20 a day investment would have totally changed the dynamic of the place, while likely increasing revenue (more bums on seats for more time), turning the exercise into a profitable one. Chances are, as well, that costs would be reduced, because poorly managed areas are usually inefficient.

Of course, other benefits would also flow . . . a greater sense of team-work and direction for staff, more satisfied customers, an attainable position (manager) for staff to aspire to . . . and, critically, a few more positive references about the hotel as a place to stay (the internet has made hotel reviews a very powerful source of information and influence - google tripadvisor is a great example of this).

So . . . how do we avoid this happening in our own business? 
It seems to me that at times we can get quite caught up in the process and lose sight of the outcome . . . job specs beautifully articulated, tasks carried out to the letter, but a customer left wondering when they will get an answer to their query. It’s a condition which is happening in all of our businesses all of the time, to some degree. Here at SBA, we’ve at times spent much too much time bouncing a customer requirement around between departments with the express purpose of trying to attend to it, while forgetting to advise the customer on the status of their issue within a reasonable time.

It’s possible to neglect a customer with the best of intentions.
Getting it “right” is an ongoing balance between great procedures, a can-do, questioning attitude, and people who have the capacity and authority to direct the business towards customer-centric outcomes. Somewhere in this mix as well is an organisational structure that supports the “process vs outcome balance”, in which tasks are carried out effectively and the attainment of outcomes is rewarded.

As businesses contemplate the cutting of costs during tough times (or more precisely, as senior management and owners contemplate cutting costs) - and I suspect this will occur all too much during 2009 - there is the risk that people capable of maintaining this all too vital balance will be shed, resulting in a downward spiral of poor service.

I think that this is what occurred at the hotel . . .


“Feeling it” at SBA . . .

During the closing months of 2008, and for the first quarter of 2009, SBA will be doing our best to “practice what we preach”. Our Operations Manager, Natascha Doran, has been given free reign to review our business, with the objective of recommending changes (from process refinements to structural change) aimed at delivering better customer - and staff - experiences.

To paraphrase from Natascha’s recent advice to staff:

“I’ll be looking for things that you feel aren’t clear, and looking for ways to improve the end result for the customer, with the aim of improving/defining departments along the way.
If you have any ideas about how your department or the business in general can improve - big or small - now is the time to put it out there. After I’ve spoken to everyone I will have a picture of things as they are, and a vision for improving the department functions, which should ultimately give the customer a better outcome . . .”

A great business culture doesn’t just happen; it evolves. A willingness to take on and respond to feedback is a vital component of this process.

We’d really like your ideas on ways we can improve our service. Talk to your SBA contact or email Natascha or myself at:

nataschad@sbamusic.com.au

wayneh@sbamusic.com.au       


Here’s to a 2009 that feels great right the way through . . .

 

 

Wayne Hall
Director

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