LeadingMinds Tip 145: Modelling the Way in a Service Business

This week's LeadingMinds Tip comes to you from Richard Nugent of the Kaizen Team.
 
When reading this tip, it is important to keep one key question running through your mind:  "Do our business measures complement or contradict our business purpose and values?"
 
The tip is inspired by a session I attended at the Customer Service Strategy Conference at the NEC in Birmingham.  Having facilitated a session with Debbie Brenen, Head of Talent and Development at Merlin Entertainments earlier in the day, I was looking forward to learning more about what the best of the rest are doing out there.
 
Sophie Patrikios, Director of LEGO Consumer Services, outlined what has made her service centre such a raving success and indeed an award-winning example of how living brand values really can add value to a business.
 
Of the many interesting insights and learnings was a simple example of how as a leader you can 'model the way' in a service business.
 
For those of you who are not familiar with what it is like to work in a contact centre here is an example of what a working day can be like.
 
"The stats board beeps again.  It shows the number of advisors logged on, the average call waiting time and how many are in the queue.  Next the service level flashes up.  The percentage of calls that are being answered within 20 seconds is way below the target.  Team Managers study their PC screens even more closely checking the call handling time of each of their teams and making sure that everyone is logged in appropriately.  You can actually hear the pace of the dialogue the advisors are having with their customers increasing.  They know they have to get that call queue down, and if that means spending less time with their customers, then so be it.  After all they must exceed their calls per hour target.
 
The Operations Manager appears on the floor reminding everyone in earshot that there is a queue and insisting that these are calls answered'."
 
If you're not familiar with these businesses, this will seem pressured and exaggerated.  For those in contact centres, this is just how life is.
 
Now reflect on Sophie's views on measurement and service.  The examples below are just a small snapshot on her approach but are reflective of how she exemplifies the leadership practice of 'modelling the way'.
 
The call queues are her responsibility.  She is in charge of resourcing, budgets etc, so she must develop and implement strategies to meet targets.  When advisors are pressurised about queues they hurry calls and do not provide the level of service required.

As you would expect advisors have a calls per hour target - currently it is eight.  The team leaders observe this and if an advisor is falling way behind this they will receive feedback and whatever support is required to increase it.  However consistently hitting ten calls per hour is as bad as six.  If Sophie and her team have done their job well in agreeing the correct figure to balance volume and service, then exceeding this is not an aspiration.

The mantra is 'love the one you are with'.  Advisors are actively dissuaded from checking on the call queues.

 
To summarise, in many of the centres I have experienced, the numbers become such an obsession that advisors, and therefore customers, are saddled with the responsibility to cure problems caused by bad planning at an organisational level.  This can include under resourcing, poor communication from product development or marketing or simple miscalculation by behalf of the leadership team.
 
At the Lego centre, advisors are empowered to do what they are employed to do - create 'brand fans' in every interaction.
 
This week's call to action:
 
·     If you are not familiar with Kouzes and Posners five leadership practices click here to learn more http://kaizen-training.com/how/leading.asp
 
·     Reflect on how you measure the people in your business does it reflect your organisation's values or conflict with them?
 
·     Do you measure people as a leader or do your measures lead to command and control?
 
·     If you are in a service business and would like to hear more of my learnings from the conference, email me to arrange a conference call or meeting at richard@kaizen-training.com.