Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657286
SOLUTIONS 30 • April 4, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Recently I went to a dealership to conduct some on-site train- ing. This dealership is one of those model dealerships that does almost everything right. The owners set the employee policies, not the employees. The owners hold the managers accountable for their actions. The managers hold their staff accountable for their actions. They had a well-oiled machine at this dealership. As my week started I was in a meeting with the entire staff, gathered together at the begin- ning of the day. The first meeting was to wel- come me and set expectations for the week. The ground rules were established immediately. The entire staff was excited to start their training and begin using their new DMS while maintaining their excellent level of customer service. What I found to be amazing was that the owners actively participated in everything that had to do with the dealership. They were part of the processes, and they knew how to perform the jobs in each area of the dealer- ship. They rallied their people and made them excited to do their jobs. The owners listened to the employees and vice versa. This relationship was a wide-open, two-way street. They conducted employee surveys about management to see where they were and what type of policies or processes they needed to improve upon. One employee made a comment on the survey that one of the owners was not acces- sible, or at least not as accessible as the owner claimed to be. In one of the dealership meet- ings the week I was there, the owner thanked the employee for the feedback and stated he will do a better job being accessible. Many times at places of work, upper man- agement tells everyone else what to do. Often it is dictatorship, not collaboration. But this dealership has collaboration, and that collabo- ration is what is making them successful. Employees like to be a part of the decision- making process. They want to feel valued and part of the business. You can hire average employees all day long, but hiring outstanding employees is much more challenging. Hav- ing employees that are engaged and who feel like they are part of the business will translate into higher customer service ratings. We all want higher customer service ratings, as those happy customers drive retention and referrals. Recently I traveled to Los Angeles to attend a conference to learn more about teaching youth and youth with disabilities. One of the ladies I was with told me a story that had a profound impact on me. It is an example of bad customer service resulting from a lack of leadership. It goes as follows: I wanted to have my new wireless speak- ers configured to my TV. So I called the TV company; they looked up my account, and transferred me without telling me where they were transferring me to. When I got to the new person, I discovered I was sent to the warranty department. This representative told me that my TV was out of warranty, however he could help me set up the speakers for $50. I told him, "No thanks, I will find someone else to do it." The guy told me to just pull out my credit card, give him the number, so he can hook up the speakers. I told him, "No, I do not wish to." I was ready to hang up when he said, "Lady, it is only $50; don't be so cheap; give me your card number, and I will hook them up." Once again I told him no. He insulted me, and I asked him to give me the warranty department's number. I hung up on him and called back hoping to get someone else, so I could report him; what were the chances I would get him again? Well, I did. I immediately told him I wanted to talk to his supervisor. I was trans- ferred to his "supervisor," who I doubt was his supervisor. Once I began to tell him the story. He apologized for his employee's behavior and then said, "So what do you want me to do about it?" I told him the guy should at least get into trouble if not fired. He chuckled at me and said, "I doubt that" and hung up. I sat with my mouth hung open in horror. I was shocked and thought to myself, "What happened to customer service?" Where was the leadership in all of this? It does not seem to matter the industry — bad customer service is a trend. Some employees are technological and cyber smart, but not socially smart. They lack the skills to interact with people face-to-face or on the phone because there are so many other ways to communicate. Have you hired people that lack the skills or interpersonal aptitude needed to perform the job — having no "ownership" — just because you need to fill a position? How are you going to combat all of these different issues? Every- one wants a well-oiled machine, but to get that, due diligence must be done. Allow me to offer a few hiring suggestions: Hire the right person(s). When conduct- ing interviews, give the applicant scenarios and ask the applicant how he or she would handle a situation. Ask probing questions. Sometimes in our need for help we hire just to have a body in place. That's not a good choice. Pay attention to their personality. Are they the right fit for the other personalities in the hiring department, and at the dealership as a whole? Do your hiring practices need an overhaul? FOLLOW ME almost everything right. PAULA CROSBIE See Crosbie, Page 31