Ellis Communications, Inc.

NEWS STORY

Unleash A Powerful Tool That Encourages Stellar Service; Recognize Your Employees for A Job Well Done
Measure-X Offers Tips On How to Provide Employee Recognition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              CONTACT: Tom Ellis
Sep. 17, 2002                                Ellis Communications, Inc.
                                                      Phone: (417) 881-5635

      Recognition is a powerful tool when it comes to encouraging utility company employees to strive to provide outstanding customer service.

      “I’m amazed by the number of utilities that spend thousands of dollars to improve their technology, increase their marketing efforts and set up that next killer sales program,” says David Saxby, president of Phoenix-based Measure-X, a company that specializes in helping utilities improve their customer service. “Yet they don’t quite see the benefit of making an investment in recognizing the most valuable asset they have: their front-line employees.”

      Front-line employees are the people who interact with customers every day, handle customer-service conflicts and generate revenue for the company, Saxby says. The desire to provide quality customer service is especially important to their work, he notes.

      Saxby offers the following tips on how to reward utility employees with recognition.

1. Recognize small improvements. Recognition is not just about saluting the top performers; it’s about recognizing people who improve their skills every day to provide better customer service and sell more products and services. “Your investment in recognition will have a stronger impact when it touches more people,” Saxby says.
2. It’s not just the money. “Recognition comes in many forms, from a hand-written thank-you note, to the president of the company praising their work, to the plaque with their name on it that sits in the lobby for the world to see,” Saxby says. He recommends “1001 Ways to Reward Employees” by Bob Nelson as a resource for those looking for ideas on employee recognition.
3. What is important to them? Ask your employees for their ideas on how they would like to be recognized for a job well done. “You might be amazed by the low-cost suggestions they share with you,” Saxby notes. “The more personal the recognition is to the employees, the more impact your efforts will have and the longer they will remember it.”
4. Provide immediate recognition. Recognition is not just the annual awards banquet or the monthly meeting where people are acknowledged for their efforts. Recognize a positive attitude or behavior immediately. “Compliment and reward people when they are using those skills they have learned,” Saxby explains. “Create that special recognition award that you can put in their hand to reward them on the spot for a job well done.”
5. Is it working? Most companies have a hard time investing money in something that doesn’t give them measurable results. “Establish a process to measure the impact that recognition has on sales and service,” Saxby says. “Survey the customers, survey the employees and track sales or productivity before and after you implement the recognition program.”

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For more information on Measure-X, call 888-644-5499 or visit its Web site at www.measure-x.com.

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