Last night we went out to a Valentine's Day dinner at a French Bistro restaurant in our home town in Northern California. The food was very good other than our son not liking the anchovies in his Cesar salad! My wife and I commented that there seemed to be something missing.
The waiter didn't engage you and seemed to be emotionally distant. The service was good, but no real effort was made to connect with us. It seemed so different than the Italian restaurants we love.
So what was the difference? My wife commented that you don't hear much about the French Bistro.
The food was excellent, but we probably wouldn't spread the word. Why? Because we didn't feel cared about as customers.
Perhaps the owner of the Bistro could have a conversation with the waiter about the apparent disconnection with customers. The feedback given in a caring way could be pivotal to everyone's success.
Do you create a remarkable experience for your customers where they are happy to spread the word? It doesn't take a marketing budget, rather a mindset of building relationships.
Engaged workers produce more, make more money for the company, and create emotional engagement and loyal customers. They contribute to good working environments where people are productive, ethical and accountable. They stay with the organization longer and are more committed to quality and growth than are the other two groups of not-engaged and actively disengaged workers.
• Employees must have a strong relationship with their manager.
• They must have clear communication from their manager
• They need a clear path set for concentrating on what they do best
• They need strong relationships with their coworkers
• They must feel a strong commitment with their coworkers so that they take risks and stretch for
excellence
Engaged employees tend to get the least amount of focus and attention from managers, in part because they’re doing what they are needed to do. They set goals, meet and exceed expectations and charge enthusiastically toward the next tough task.
Great managers don’t leave these excellent employees alone. They spend most of their time with the most productive and talented people because they have the most potential.
The challenge for managers comes when the first signs of disengaging appear from an engaged worker. The symptoms need to be addressed immediately or else the disconnection is most likely to continue. Most of the time this disengagement process can be interrupted by having meaningful conversations that strengthen commitment through relationship.
Do you take the time to keep the very best?
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