Poor Internal Communication Can Damage
Customer Service
By David
Saxby, Measure-x
If you
took a poll at your public utility and asked every employee to rate the
level of communication between management and staff and among the different
departments, would they make your day and give your company high marks? I
doubt it.
Poor
communication is one of the biggest challenges a utility faces.
When I train at
a utility, I use an activity to demonstrate communication skill. Try this
with your management team. Give each person a sheet of paper, then pair
people up and have them sit with their backs to each other so they can’t see
what their partner or other people are doing. Tell them to fold their sheet
of paper and tear off a corner, then fold the sheet again and tear off a
corner. If they ask which way to fold or which corner to tear, tell them
it’s their choice. Now have each person open his or her sheet of paper. They
will discover that their piece of paper looks different from the person
sitting next to them. This activity demonstrates that we all hear and
perceive situations differently.
Miscommunication at the company level not only impacts internal customers
(managers, supervisors, departments and employees), it also impacts
customers’ experiences with the utility. So if communication is so important
to improving how a utility functions and creating a positive experience for
customers, why is it such a major obstacle? Because we are all individuals
with different levels of experience and varying levels of communication
skills we all see things differently. Those differences are important to the
growth and vitality of any company. If everyone looked at everything the
same way, nothing would change.
The challenge is
getting all the people at your utility to communicate clearly and listen to
everyone else. Consider the following ideas.
Listen to understand.
Heavy workloads, short staffing and
multi-tasking turn people into poor listeners. They pretend they’re
listening, but in reality, they miss a lot of what is said. Your employees
can build strong relationships by being better listeners. Follow these four
steps to overcome listening barriers:
1. Focus on the
person talking. Close your door, place your phone on do not disturb, remove
the project you’re working on and focus on the person talking
2. Use
confirming statements. Clarify your understanding of what they’re saying
with such statements as “Let me confirm what you said…” or “My understanding
is...”
3.
Summarize key facts. Words mean different things to different people.
Confirm that you and the person sharing information have clarity. Use
phrases such as “Did I understand that correctly?” “Did I get that right?”
or “Is that correct?”
4.
Clarify misunderstandings (if necessary).
Watch your
body language. Body language sends non-verbal cues that speak volumes
and communicate powerful messages. We are often unaware of our negative body
language because it’s comprised of subtle habits we have developed over the
years – eye rolling, sighing, rapid-fire foot taping, leg bouncing or sewing
machine knee, glancing away from the person speaking and interrupting the
person speaking.
Watch your verbal language. The quality of everyday language used in
business is on the decline. When employees use language that is negative or
abrupt, they create communication barriers. Negative language can quickly
destroy relationships with coworkers.
Avoid
giving orders.
Rather
than: “ You have to…” “You must…”
Use:
If you will… then I can,” “In order to….” “We need….”
Be
careful not to criticize.
Rather
than: “You should have..”
Use:
“Here’s how we can resolve this...”
Facilitate a
monthly brainstorming session. Oftentimes, the best source for new ideas
comes from within. Your employees see things every day that could be
improved, changed or done differently. Let their experiences and
observations become your funnel of knowledge.
In one year,
Toyota employees submitted 86,000 suggestions for improvement. In Japan, 61
percent of employees regularly generate ideas while only 8 percent do in
America. Why such a huge difference? The average Japanese manager uses four
out of five suggestions. Employees are far more perceptive than most
employers realize.
Create an event where
everyone looks forward to sharing his or her ideas. Focus each brainstorming
session on one area where you are looking for improvement. Ask each employee
to come with at least one idea to improve that part of the utility. Hand out
dollar bills, movie tickets or inexpensive rewards to say “thank you” for
their ideas. Demonstrate to your people that their ideas and suggestions are
valuable to the growth of your company.
Here are two
important ground rules:
Before the brainstorming session, acknowledge that there are no bad ideas
(negativity will destroy enthusiasm for unique and different suggestions).
Respond to all the ideas in three to four days maximum (it’s easy to grow
weary of providing ideas and suggestions without some form of feedback).
Measure your
staff’s level of satisfaction. A simple employee survey can provide you
with invaluable information. Structure the survey to be as objective as
possible.
Some areas to
solicit their feedback might include:
1. Training
programs. Do they feel their training is adequate and gives them the proper
skills for their job functions and additional opportunities?
2. Company
mission and vision. Do they know where the utility is headed?
3. Professional
standards. Do they understand the levels of service you expect and the
behaviors/actions that will achieve them?
4. Internal
changes. Are ALL employees aware of changes taking place at the company?
This could
include new policies or procedures, new software, new employees and new
construction projects.
5. Likes and
dislikes. Give them the opportunity to tell you what they like and dislike
about your company.
Most
employees will give you honest feedback if they believe there will be no
backlash or a negative consequence. Allow them to give you information
freely and anonymously. Share the results company wide. Let employees know
which items will be implemented as a result of their feedback.
Involve your
employees every chance you get! A recent study showed that more than 57
percent of hourly employees do not know their company’s annual sales. More
than 26 percent do not know if their company’s financial position has
changed in the last three years. Don’t be afraid to share sales and expense
numbers. Teach everyone how to read a P&L statement.
Get them
involved in examining expenses in their departments. Invite them to come up
with strategies on ways to increase sales and decrease costs. Ask for their
feedback on how to improve your level of customer service. Front-line people
see many things as they do their jobs that, if done differently, could
improve performance, save time and money, and bolster your bottom line.
Communication
is a learned skill that requires training and practice. What is your utility
doing to improve internal communication?
-------------------------------------
David Saxby is president of Measure-X, a Phoenix,
Ariz.-based measurement, training and recognition company that specializes in
customer service and sales skill training for utility companies. He can be
reached at 888-644-5499 or via e-mail at
david@measure-x.com. Visit the Measure-X Web site at
www.measure-x.com.
