They did this by providing great products at a great price backed by excellent Customer Service.

This is the success formula that has been the backbone, cornerstone and foundation of every single great Customer Service organization since the dawn of man.

Great products at a great price backed by excellent Customer Service.

I read a lot of that post and the comments from Customers and the thing that shouts out is the lack of friendly, caring and response-able personnel. In addition it is very clear that the empowerment that employees and the store manager had in the past has been removed.

This is not a slur against the people that are friendly and competent in that organization. It sounds like they have been smothered by a steady diet of "bottom line" management decisions.

So you are the CEO of said company and now you have to fix it.

What do you do?

In a word, ENABLE!

If you look it up the definition you will find it is as follows; to make able, provide with means, power, etc., to do something

That begins at the CEO's desk and goes all the way to the last person to close the doors at night at the last open store after the last cart and broom is put away.

Number one on the list is to define the goal. What do you want to do? Once you have the goal, share it with EVERYONE involved in making it happen.

Better yet, have them help you define the goal.

Getting those who must make the vision to help you define the vision will get them to buy into the vision.

So, what's next? We must start where it will have the most effect.

Personnel.

1. We begin by defining our image. Hire friendly, hire competence, hire trainability. The face of our company should reflect our image. Friendly, competent and trained personnel are the fastest way to correct a brand problem.

2. We empower all employees to act 'response-able' towards all Customers. There should never be any hesitation by an employee in response to a Customer's request. They may not know the answer, however, the response should be friendly and be an offer to help or lead towards a resolution in favor of the Customer.

3. We commit to ongoing training, mentorship and inspection of what is expected. Training and mentorship is continuous and proactive. It begins with the expectation by the employee for training and support upon employment and the expectation that the employee will continue with ongoing training during the time employed.

4. The budget for providing the "means" of attracting friendly, competent and trainable personnel. And to provide for the training and mentoring of said personnel.

5. Pay plans based on a mix of Customer Satisfaction and profitability. If we are emphasizing Customer Service, then our pay plans are more rewarding for those that have excellent Customer Service. The results need to measurable and the plans have to reflect measurable results. They cannot be too easy to reach and cannot be too hard to obtain. They should cause the organization to stretch and reach, not bend and break.

It's in the stretching and reaching that real results are attained. If you find your organization stuck or mired, it's because people are bending which means resistance and that leads to breaking, which is another word for fail.

Think of it this way.

Where do you keep your cookies? In the top cabinet!

And to reach them, you are going to have to stretch, maybe climb to get them. They are almost never in the bottom cabinet.

Here you find the can goods and pots and pans. Sometimes you need a pot or pan. And can goods are handy.

But if you want a cookie, you are going to have to go get it.

They can be found on the top shelf.

By addressing those items, any organization looking for a plan for re-growth and positive results could start by looking at what got them there in the 1st place.

Great products at a great priced backed by excellent Customer Service.