Help New Supervisors Appreciate that the Customer is the Business, advises Latest Impact Achievement Group Article

Second article in 12-part series emphasizes treating customers like assets, not transactions

SEATTLE – February 23, 2010 – When untrained supervisors are in charge of frontline employees with customer contact, the impact on customers’ experience can be devastating, according to a new article from Impact Achievement Group.

Customers today have the choice of similar products, at similar prices and of similar value. Given that, superior customer service is critical in attracting and retaining their business. Frontline employees will follow the lead of the person they report to, so it’s essential to convey to first-time managers the lifetime importance of customers. In "Helping First-Time Supervisors Understand the Value of a Customer – For Life!," the second article in a 12-part series, Impact Achievement explains the importance of giving new managers an appreciation for “business acumen” – understanding how a business creates value. The twelve-part series is derived from Supervisory Basics, 12 individual yet linked two-hour training modules, delivered in leader-led or eLearning formats that helps managers understand the management behaviors and tactics required to ensure their and their company’s success. “Businesses often don’t ask a fundamental question – how do they deliver value to the customer in terms of service,” said Lee Klepinger, president. "It’s not enough to declare they’re committed to a great customer service. They absolutely must train new supervisors to connect the dots between the performance of their work group and its impact on customers."

To encourage a customer-focused team, new managers and supervisors must understand basic principles of customer loyalty. Operational excellence, for instance, involves "being brilliant at the basics" – delivering the right product at the right time, at the right place and in the right way.

In addition, those who managed a customer-focused team understand that everything done in their workgroup or department affects the customer. Those managers understand that they must “be the customer.” Poor performance can result in delays, defects, wasted time and irritation. Employees will become frustrated and customers won’t return. "Helping First Time Supervisors Understand the Value of a Customer – For Life!" is available here. Article three will discuss the recurring performance management principles within the career of a supervisor or manager.

About Impact Achievement Group

Impact Achievement Group provides assessment, coaching, customer loyalty and leadership development training that focuses on employee selection, retention, employee engagement and customer engagement. By integrating and blending the world's best assessment and recruiting processes, workshops and eLearning training, coaching and measurement programs, Impact Achievement Group helps organizations improve human performance to achieve bottom line results.