Clerks Aren't Jerks

Clerks Aren’t Jerks

How many times have you had a good experience with someone behind the counter?  How many times a great experience?  Considering all the transactions each of us conducts every day, week, month or year of our lives, most of us are lucky enough to have at least mediocre service.  The ones that stick with us and shared with our friends are the bad ones.  The reason I am bringing this up is that for the most part, Clerks Are Not Jerks.  For all the bad media, the stereotypes and the condescending sneers used to describe them, they are good people doing difficult jobs.  So why aren’t they treated better by employers and customers?  

Have you ever heard of the Pygmalion effect?  Those qualities we want to develop or create in others?  With our front line people, it works from both sides of the counter.  Customers may tend to view cashiers in a harsh manner so that they can feel better about themselves in their upcoming day.  Even middle managers can demonstrate this attitude towards their teams.  Thank goodness, most managers with this philosophy do not last long, but the damage to the individual and the organization has already occurred.  How do we as managers overcome this trap?  How do we get the most out of our most valuable resource? 

Follow the resources. We always talk about “walking the talk”, put your money where your mouth is, etc but to really get “real”, look at your checkbook. If your resources are going to your goals, you are in good shape.  Example:   Are you spending money on training?  On follow up?  Are you visiting your third shift employees?  Are you investing in training?  What metrics are you using to hold your HR/Training team accountable?  How often are they reviewed?