I was waiting for a flight at the Omaha airport. A roast beef sandwich might hit the spot. I walked over to the sandwich shop and ordered the 12” version with lettuce, tomato, mayo and banana peppers. The young man behind the counter took my order, grabbed the roast beef and turned to the slicer. It wouldn’t work. He turned the switch on and off a dozen times as if that would fix the problem.
He disappeared around the corner and came back with someone else. She took one look at the slicer and said, “Oh yeah. That broke this morning.” The minutes ticked away. He fiddled with it while the line grew behind me. Finally, I pointed to the chef’s knife on the counter. “How about using that?” I asked.
“I’m not allowed,” he said. “We have to stick with the portions.”
“How about just this once?” I asked
“I would get fired,” he said.
“We won’t tell anyone,” I said, pointing to the people behind me.”
“I really can’t,” he said. “Sorry.”
“So instead of using common sense,” I thought, “you’re going to turn away a half-dozen $10 sales?” I didn’t share this, however. I suspected my reasoning would fall on deaf ears. Instead, I walked away, along with those behind me.
If you are reading this, you’ve experienced the same kind of exchange, frustration and perhaps sadness. I say sadness, because these kinds of encounters are becoming increasingly prevalent. You might attribute this to a lack of training, poor supervision, apathy, or somebody’s foolish rules. Regardless, it is becoming sand in the gears of a functioning society. But as much as we complain about these behaviors in other organizations, they are being committed in ours as well.
The solution? Secret shop yourself. Yes, this is a well-established practice in retail. But is works just a well in manufacturing, financial services, hospitality, and anywhere else customer service is considered important. Surveys indicate that fewer than one in ten people complain when their request or encounter is handled poorly.
Secret shopping is easy to implement. Make a list of the ten most common questions or situations where service is likely to break down. Then pose as a customer and call, e-mail, or walk in the front door and ask the first person you see. If you’re easily recognizable, ask a confederate to do so. Think of it as your own personal version of Undercover Boss.
We’ve all heard this advice before, of course. But how about committing to it for a few minutes a week. You’ll be pleased, surprised, amused, frustrated, shocked, maybe even apoplectic. Whatever the outcome, you’ll save customers from the kind of experience I faced in Omaha and add money to your bottom line. It’s up to you.