When it comes to customer driven businesses, people are usually at the core of the operation and what those people produce influences how profitable the enterprise can be. The most efficient organizations have highly skilled workers in the core group that can perform tasks and complete jobs quickly and efficiently. A sole manager would be appointed to oversee the group and provide support when needed. Ideally, a manager would become the ‘leader’ of the core group and would be more goal and achievement oriented. The manager would create plans to attain objectives while ensuring goals are met in the most efficient manner possible. Modern managers are also responsible for troubleshooting and solving internal and external problems that the core group encounters. The role of the manager has definitely changed over the last few years as more is expected from frontline teams and supervisors in the post-pandemic world. Additional workloads and shrinking resources have caused a wave of ‘bad management’ in customer service related industries.
Managing The Bottom Line
Poor decision making by supervisors can be driven by many different factors, but in the end, profitability will always suffer. Bad management can appear in many forms and is usually not associated with difficult personalities. Managers who are unapproachable are ‘bad managers’. Frontline teams who cannot easily access their supervisors for support will be much less efficient and accurate than teams that have open and engaging relationships with managers. Other examples of bad management technique are:
- Giving direct orders without reasoning or accepting input from individuals
- Favouritism or differing attitudes between team members
- Working within the ‘ivory tower’
- Not leading by example
- Infrequent or no feedback or reviews of individual team members
Managers are direct influencers on team morale and can critically impact the efficiency and profitability of the operation. High morale and a motivated team are essential for success in customer driven businesses.
Mentoring is the Key to the Future
Managers and supervisors who understand and embrace the concept of mentoring will have better connections with their teams which will result in higher morale and productivity. Mentoring can be looked at as part of managing a team or an individual but having a mentorship attitude in day – to day managing will yield longer term positive results. What exactly is a mentor? The term refers to someone within an organization who comes from extended experience and can provide knowledge or teachings related to the business at hand. A mentor is someone who can share their own first hand experiences in a way that offers tones of leadership and confidence. Mentor type relationships with frontline staff can also quickly reveal team strengths and weaknesses, fostering a culture of growth and positivity within the organization. Positive work environments also reduce another expense that customer service driven businesses dread, staff turnover.
Good Help is So Hard To Find
One of the biggest challenges to customer driven businesses these days is attracting, training and retaining good frontline staff. Costs for hiring and retaining staff can really cut into the bottom line. There is only so much companies can offer in terms of direct compensation to attract workers but there is a lot they can do to offer an engaging and satisfying work environment. Establishing and promoting a culture of mentorship with frontline staff is the direct way to decreasing staff turnover and maintaining high motivation within the team. Both are important factors in driving profitability for any customer service supported business.
The Bottom Line
Businesses that rely on customers are also dependent on the frontline teams that service that part of the operation. From the actual customer service to maintaining operational parts of the business, frontline teams have direct input into the profitability of the enterprise. Training and motivating staff is key to driving that profitability and efficiency while also reducing costs. Managers and supervisors who embrace and foster a culture of mentorship with frontline teams will realize more productivity, increased accuracy and reduced costs, while driving the bottom line . Creating a positive work environment through a mentorship culture will also attract quality individuals as well as retaining high performing team members.