How do your employees represent your business when you aren’t looking? Obviously, you can’t be omnipresent but are you comfortable that your employees are good brand ambassadors?
If you haven’t done so recently, you’d be well served to see how your people are doing in this regard.
I came across a great example of why this is important when I was arranging transportation from an airport shuttle on a recent trip. The customer service representative was especially ineffective, and frankly, drained energy from prospective customers.
He spent most of our conversation disparaging his company: how unreliable they were, how they constantly upset their customers, how they do a terrible job, etc. It didn’t make me feel good about riding with them.
This contrasted to the person who drove me to my destination. She was engaging and pleasant: personable, professional, and cheerful.
The guy at the airport was just going through the motions. Had I not had prior positive experiences with this company, I might have easily walked away and selected another option.
Do your employees enhance or detract from the mission of your business? Be scrupulously honest about this. I know leaders who turn the other cheek, largely for irrational reasons. Ignoring this contributes to brand erosion.
Pay attention, and more importantly, act when people aren’t doing their jobs. I know this isn’t always an easy task, but you’re in charge, and it’s up to you to make it work the way it’s supposed to work.
Header image by Yan Krukau/Pexels.
