Sometimes we need to go back to our roots to be better compensation professionals. I have listed three lessons I learned while serving the public in retail establishments. I didn’t know that these would apply to a career in compensation when I started working about one-hundred years ago.
Lesson 1. Acknowledge them when they walk in, even if you can’t immediately help them.
My first “real” job in high school was scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins. I lived in San Jose, California. The summers were hot. Ice cream was popular, and there were not yet many places to get really good ice cream. Larry Nichols, the owner of the store personally taught me this first lesson. This should be used for every person you meet at work.
“When they walk in the door, look up, say hello and let them know you will be with them as soon as possible. If you do this, they will wait at least 5 minutes longer, and be happier, than if you say nothing.” These were his instructions. They were tested at some point on nearly every busy day. It was annoying to interrupt your work one-hundred times a day just to tell people you couldn’t help them. But Mr. Nichols was right. People who weren’t acknowledged were far more likely to leave or complain.
Most of us want to hide when things aren’t going well. Most of us want to be left alone when we are truly swamped. Remembering Mt Nichol’s lesson can help you avoid upset employees, or ex-employees. It’s simple and effective.
Lesson 2. Always plan for more. Bring what they asked for. Bring it in the next size. Bring something similar and bring something completely different. This lesson is especially useful when dealing with executives.
I sold shoes for a while. The best sales person in the store told me to always be prepared for more. “Sizes aren’t the same for every brand. No matter what they ask for, bring the next size up or down. It will save you time and help close sales.” He also told me to bring a similar more expensive pair and a pair that was completely different. The more expensive pair made their choice seem like a better bargain. The different shoe was there to spark conversation. I was always amazed by the number of people who came in for hiking boots and left with Birkenstocks or cowboy boots!
Giving people exactly what they ask for doesn’t always work. Having a ready back up plan or add on provision can quickly move you forward. You may never even take the idea “out of the box,” but its existence will often give your confidence to preempt potential issues.
Lesson 3. No Problem. This should be used for yourself, just as much as it is used for others.
This was the simplest and most effective lesson I learned. I worked for Nordstrom when its customer service was the stuff of legends. When I was hired, they gave me a round blue pin that said “No Problem” in white letters. We were supposed to where them at all times. The phrase was meant to be the answer to nearly any question a customer might ask. Initially it served to communicate that we were there to help. Eventually it became a mantra and then a mindset. No problem became the reality of working at Nordstrom. Nothing seemed like too big of a deal. Everyone knew that you were doing your best and failure only occurred if it was simply unavoidable.
When NO PROBLEM is your answer to nearly every question, people take you very seriously when you say something may be an issue. When you constantly put up roadblocks, it can feel like you just enjoy roadblocks. Compensation is a service center. Nearly everything within reason can be done with the right data and senior support. Senior support comes easier when people understand you are doing your best all the time.
Applying each of these lessons effectively and consistently will take practice. Try them in 30 days chunks and monitor the results. You may be surprised how much better your workdays become. If you have a similar lesson, please share it in the comments!
Dan Walter is a CECP and CEP and works as Managing Consultant for FutureSense. He is passionately committed to aligning pay with company strategy and culture. Dan is also a leading expert on equity compensation issues and has written several industry resources including the one-of-a-kind Performance-Based Equity Compensation. He has co-authored ”Everything You Do In Compensation is Communication”, “The Decision Makers Guide to Equity Compensation”, “Equity Alternatives” and other books. Connect with Dan on LinkedIn. Or, follow him on Twitter at @DanFutureSense.
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