The world of HTM so much has changed over the past 10-20 years. The advancement in technology is staggering. But it’s not just in HTM. Think about the banking industry. In today’s world of ATMs, online banking, auto bill pay, direct deposits, mobile deposits, etc., I very rarely have to go in to the bank anymore. But I did the other day. And I really got the feeling they were very happy to see me!
When I walked in the door someone from one of the desks greeted me with a friendly hello. There was no one on line so I went right up to the teller. I had a complicated transaction, hence my trip into the bank. I could tell that the women behind the counter had never completed a transaction like this before but she assured me from the beginning that we would get it done.
The first thing she tried didn’t work. She told me that. Then she said, “Let take a look at this another way.” She worked a little harder, continuing to smile and talk to me about what she was doing all the way. When she was pretty sure she had it, she called her manager over to confirm one or two things and to sign off on what she had done.
As I was waiting I noticed a little sign on an index card under her name plate at the window and there was one of those “ding” bells you sometimes see a short order cook using to let the waiter know the order is ready. The sign said, “Please ring the bell if you experienced excellent service.” I was rooting for her all the way, hoping that she would fix my problem so that I could ring that bell.
I was probably there about 15-20 minutes, but it seemed rather quick to me, a normally impatient customer. I waited for the manager to sign off and then as I had hoped, the teller handed me my receipts and thanked me for my patience. And then…..I rang that bell! Her coworkers looked up. Everyone smiled and the manager thanked me again.
It got me thinking about how we can get our customers to ring the bell for our people when they do a good job. Surveys are great, but there’s nothing like instant gratification. And there is nothing more motivating than getting a reward. The reward doesn’t have to be huge or monetary, but I think you can imagine how the women felt after working so hard, to have me acknowledge her efforts right there and then, and of course, the bonus of her manager witnessing it. I challenge anyone who is a supervisor or manager to try to come up with a way for people to acknowledge the good work of your people. It’s great for morale and before you know it, everyone wants to get into the action. Everyone wants someone to ring their bell.
Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com