My Rough Morning

This morning I decided to try a new coffee shop in our local community.?I ordered my coffee, which was easy enough. ?When I asked if they had anything to eat, I was informed that their cook had called in sick.?The lady behind the counter told me she had purchased some bagels on her way to the shop. ?I reluctantly agreed to have one. ?Toasted, please!?When I got back to my car and took the bagel from the bag, I immediately realized that it must have been frozen. ?The bagel was still cold and hard, but also burnt from the toaster.?I was getting rather hungry, so I decided to stop by a tried-and-true local breakfast haunt that was on my way.?I pulled into their drive-thru and ordered my favorite bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. ?I patiently waited for nearly 10 minutes behind other cars understanding that they are likely short-staffed similar to most restaurants these days. ?After paying, I pulled away while opening the bag with anticipation… only to find that the biscuit had been well overcooked, leaving it crusty and hard.?As I humbly ate my biscuit (I was very hungry at that point), my mind was flooded with all the lessons that could be taken away from my experiences this morning.

1.?????Always remain patient & kind.?When it comes to being on the receiving end of customer service, for some reason, we find it very hard to remember all the mistakes we have made while serving our own customers.?I personally prefer to forget those moments.?However, whether we are serving our customers or we are the customer, it generally helps to keep a humble attitude.?We don’t know what types of work-related or personal situations are plaguing each individual.?You are free to choose not to patronize that business again, but don’t allow that bad experience to ruin your day or anyone else’s.?And remember… you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

2.?????Are you paying your employees enough??During a time where you see “Now Hiring” signs on virtually every place of business, you can suspect that every measure to retain current good employees must be taken.?The pocketbook is the most obvious place to start.?Whether hiring or retaining, whatever you’re used to paying isn’t enough.?Some have called this time the “Great Resignation” simply because an employee may think the grass is greener somewhere else.?To achieve loyalty, an employee must believe that you will take care of them financially and otherwise.?Someone wise in the ranks of our company once advised me while writing an offer letter and debating over an additional $5000/year. ?She simply asked if I thought that $5000 would make the employee more comfortable and keep them from being on the lookout for the next best thing.?I had my answer.

3.?????What are some other ways of retaining your employees??I constantly hear from employers who say they can’t keep or find anyone to work.?To combat this, they talk about added benefits and incentives, but in the midst of “The Great Resignation” we must dig deeper.?Do your employees really love showing up to work every day??Do they feel empowered??Do you make every effort for them to feel as though they are making a difference or that their ideas are being heard??Maybe they just need a break!?With everything going on these days, mental health is more important than ever.?And let’s not forget the work from home movement, the hottest topic of all in the workplace right now.?Being flexible and creative with ideas like this will make your business a much more desirable place to work.?It will also let the employee know that you have their best interest at heart.?You must engage with employees to let them know they matter and that they have your support.

4.?????What’s better: speed or quality??We all know that most of the time you can’t have both.?Either speed comes with poor quality or good quality takes time.?If you’re failing at both hiring or retaining employees, you likely won’t have either.?My 10 minutes in the drive-thru would’ve easily been forgotten had I bitten into a soft and flaky biscuit.?Quality will generally trump every time.?Most people think they want speed, but they never want to deal with the inevitable result.?Your customer must believe and trust they will get quality every single time.?When that starts to fail, the first reaction is to throw more resources at it to get it fixed fast.?And what did we just learn that speed will get you??Focus on how to retain the quality.?The ironic thing about the amount of time it took to deliver the product or project is that with time, it will be forgotten.?The impression made from quality sticks with you.

5.?????What effect does one bad experience have on your customer??When it all falls apart and everything goes wrong, it seems those experiences are not easily forgotten.?My bad experience with my first visit at a new coffee shop could very well mean I will never be back. ?There is a competing coffee shop just a few miles down the road.?However, the old haunt that typically serves a great breakfast every morning will likely see me again after a sufficient waiting period.?They do risk the chance that I try a few other places in the meantime and happen upon my new favorite breakfast stop.?Apparently, with their latest hiring trend that’s a chance they are willing to take.?Maybe they are harkening to a time where typical hiring practices will bring quality employees again. ?That’s a very risky position and most don’t even realize the risk they are taking.?

At DCO, we have always known that our continued success is a direct result of the people who work here.?A culture of winning creates a drive to repeat that winning feeling.?Our people continually go above and beyond to service our customers.?When our customers win, we win.?However, we must be careful that we don’t get so busy helping our customers win, that we don’t engage with one another on a personal level. ?That is an easy pit to fall into.?Ultimately, it is our desire that everyone becomes successful and finds a sense of worth, pride, and happiness.?Within our company, we have many different roles and paths.?In fact, I try to go into every interview process with an open mind.?I want to learn about the person, their skillsets, personality, and abilities before boxing them into a role that would not make them successful.?Don’t forget that sometimes they must find success by working for another company.?We are not always going to get it right with customers or employees, but what matters is that we are doing our best to act differently, remain open-minded, focus on quality, and hire strategically.