Empower employees to resolve patients' issues on the spot

So today I want to talk to you about a customer service issue that I had here at the Marriott in London where I walk up to the front desk and ask them for a paper bag and they say they don't have any bags to give me. And I ask them, well, in a full service hotel like this, there's no way not to have any bags. You have gift shops, you have restaurants, you have, you know, you know you have to give things away to the, to the customer. So after a few minutes of friction, they finally go out and find plenty of bags to bring. So today's discussion is about US leaders as troops training our employees to resolve customer issues. See, a lot of the employees, they're not even willing to help out the customer. And a lot of that has to do with us as leaders because we have not empowered them to make those decisions. You know, Marriott is part of the, or, I'm sorry, Ritz Carlton Hotel is part of the Marriott. It's what branch of that? And they're well known for this golden standard in customer service. I have trained with them, I have brought Ritz Carlton leadership, a lot of hospital trainings as well as financial institutions in the US in the past. And I will tell you, it really surprises me that how one hotel chain, which is part of a much bigger hotel chain of Marriott, they don't have the similar training. But here are some ideas that I can give you. One is discuss this in a morning huddle with your team about what it is that they to do. See, to have an exceptional level of service, it takes just an extra level of effort. These things do not cost any additional money to your practice, to your company. And all the person has to do is be willing to go out and find a way to do it. See, at the Ritz Carlton or at Nordstrom's or at other famous customer service oriented companies, if there's something they have to do for customers, they'll find a way. They even go out and buy it and bring it for the customers. Yet you know, some of our people are not willing to even go out and find the answer. How many times we've been to businesses where we ask a question and they automatically say, no, we cannot do it. Or like the other day I was at a restaurant and tried to order some mushrooms for my wife and they say, well, we don't have that on the menu. I said, yeah, I understand that, but can you go ahead and prepare it? No, we don't have any mushrooms. I said, can you go ask the chef? And then finally they went and get it done. We have to let our people know that never say no to a client. Always try to find a way to handle that. See, it's not about customer service, about customer experience. I may have the best service, but if I don't feel like I have the good experience from whatever I'm doing, the business interaction I'm having, I'm going to leave that premise thinking that their customer service is poor. So it's very important that we discuss this with our team, empower them. You know, at the Ritz Carlton, leadership, you know, what they're taught is that each employee has the ability to resolve customers issues for up to $5,000 per employee, per customer. You know, and $5,000 may be too much money for your practice, but $50 could be a good amount. But you need to set that amount, what it is an employee level or status in the company. They can go ahead and resolve this issue. At Ritz Carlton, actually, everyone is at the same level or they're authorized to resolve these issues no matter what level they're in. So this is an important subject that I think you need to talk about with your team at the morning huddles. But also we need to discuss about policies and rules and so forth. Because what I like about Nordstrom is their policy manual is just use your common sense. That's all it is. And it's important to have that because policies must be understood by our employees. I remember one time I stayed at this hotel in Palm Desert, California, where I used to stay every week, two, three nights a week, and I would rent two or three rooms because I had my staff traveling with me. And I was doing this for almost two or three years. One time, one event, I went up to the front desk and told them, hey, I'm going to bring my staff and their family here for training within three weeks from now. So what I'm going to do is pay the full amount as a business check to you. And the guy says, sir, we do not take checks. I said, well, I understand that, but you understand the policy behind that. He says, well, we just do not accept check. Let me explain this to you. You do not accept checks from a traveler that comes in, checks out the hotel parts because you don't want the check to bounce. But if somebody is paying you in full amount three weeks from now, which you can cash a check today, and it's from someone that you know the business, and we've been doing business with you a long time, do you think that's a. That that's a good policy to have. See, people do not you use their common sense. And a lot of times I think as leaders, we are at fault because we do not empower them to use their common sense. We give them this set of books of rules and regulations and ask them, hey, this is our rules and regulations. And nobody really takes the time to explain to them what the policy is. So take the time. Do these at your meetings, either morning huddles and so forth. Discuss these issues with your staff and as leaders, try to empower them to make these decisions on your behalf and, you know, resolve these issues. Okay. Anything else I can do for you, Please contact me drallancimail.com Be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Thank you much.