Creating schedules that put your customers first is a key aspect of delivering excellent service and building loyalty. However, it can also be challenging to balance the needs and preferences of your staff, your budget, and your operational goals. How can you design and implement schedules that work for everyone? Here are some tips to help you.
The first step is to understand your customer demand patterns, preferences, and expectations. You can use data from your sales, feedback, and loyalty programs to identify when and how your customers need your service, what they value most, and how they perceive your performance. You can also conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to get more insights. Knowing your customers will help you align your schedules with their needs and priorities.
In the world of human resources, customers are employees.The focal point is to enable people to perform at their best during their work. To do this it is necessary to start from the corporate needs and requirements and translate them into employee needs and requirements. In short, act as a glue!
The second step is to plan your schedules in advance, based on your customer data, your capacity, and your goals. You can use scheduling software, templates, or tools to help you create efficient and effective schedules that optimize your resources and minimize waste. You should also consider factors such as seasonality, holidays, events, promotions, or emergencies that may affect your demand or supply. Planning ahead will help you avoid last-minute changes, conflicts, or gaps that may compromise your service quality.
The third step is to communicate your schedules clearly and consistently to your staff, your customers, and your stakeholders. You should inform your staff of their shifts, roles, and responsibilities as early as possible, and provide them with the necessary training, support, and feedback. You should also inform your customers of your service hours, availability, and policies, and update them on any changes or delays. You should also communicate with your stakeholders, such as suppliers, partners, or regulators, to ensure compliance and coordination. Communicating clearly will help you build trust, engagement, and satisfaction among all parties.
The fourth step is to be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, needs, or opportunities. You should monitor your schedules regularly and evaluate their performance, impact, and feedback. You should also be ready to adjust your schedules if needed, based on data, feedback, or intuition. You should also empower your staff to make decisions, swap shifts, or offer solutions that may improve your service or customer experience. Being flexible will help you respond to customer demand, improve your efficiency, and create a positive culture.
From my recent experiences, creating schedules that put our customers first can be achieved by being flexible. This means being adaptable and responsive to changing circumstances, needs, and opportunities. Regularly monitor our schedules and make adjustments based on data, feedback, or intuition. Empower our staff to make decisions, swap shifts, and offer solutions that enhance the service experience and customer satisfaction. Being flexible allows us to prioritise customer needs, optimise operations, and foster a positive work environment.
The fifth step is to reward and recognize your staff for their efforts, contributions, and achievements in creating schedules that put your customers first. You should provide them with fair compensation, benefits, incentives, or perks that reflect their value and motivate them. You should also recognize them publicly, privately, or personally for their work, skills, or behaviors that enhance your service or customer loyalty. You should also celebrate your team's successes, learn from your challenges, and seek continuous improvement. Rewarding and recognizing your staff will help you retain talent, boost morale, and foster a customer-centric culture.
The sixth step is to learn and improve from your scheduling practices, outcomes, and feedback. You should collect and analyze data, feedback, or testimonials from your staff, your customers, and your stakeholders to measure your performance, satisfaction, and loyalty. You should also identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and set goals and action plans to improve your scheduling processes, systems, or strategies. You should also seek best practices, trends, or innovations that may inspire or enhance your scheduling solutions. Learning and improving will help you stay competitive, relevant, and customer-focused.
In my experience having customers in different countries, this is how I overcame the challenge to have effective schedules - That works for both the customers and the team. We sorted the customers based on regions. Hired team members in key locations to ensure that the right work life balance is achieved. The schedules were planned a month in advance, and each member could put an advance request for a leave. There were always back ups in case someone got sick. Our clients gave us a 5 star rating as they always had someone to talk to, in their language and available during there business hours to look after their needs.