Simon didn’t say… Are you giving permission to perform?

(I apologise for the gap in blog posts, I’ve just enjoyed some well-earned leave.)

Remember playing ‘Simon Says’ as a child? Sometimes fun and sometimes exasperating!? Not knowing if you have permission can be a bit like that…

It’s usually seen as a good thing to invest in customer service training. But actually you’re wasting your money if you don’t give employees permission to use their skills and to exercise their own judgment to do what’s right for customers.

I endured an example of this recently when my mobile phone died prior to the end of my contract. While I must admit I was enjoying the momentary respite from our connected world, I was also being prompted daily by my mother that a new phone was needed as she could no longer ‘facetime’ me or play ‘Words with Friends’.

A new mobile phone – how hard could it be?

Arriving at the flagship London store of my mobile provider, I was greeted promptly and courteously by a sales associate, who had clearly received the necessary technical training -- quickly spouting off details of the various phones, plans, and options. Upgrading 60 days early due to a maintenance issue, however, was not a straightforward situation, and as became obvious during a highly frustrating experience, his training fell down in one key area: he didn’t have ‘permission’ from his company to use his initiative.

While I won’t bore you with the finer details, the sales associate’s computer system was set up to penalize folks wishing to upgrade early, not taking into account other reasons why a client might find themselves in this situation. It was painfully clear to the associate (and his manager) that an insignificant fee, that they weren’t allowed to waive, was actually incentivising me to take my business elsewhere. In short, I left on a principle, and they lost a long-term client, simply because they had no permission.

I quickly found another provider.  Same phones and same phone plans – but they had permission, working creatively to ensure that the penalties being assessed by my old provider were negated in the new sale.

Even though renewing my phone contract took longer than it did to buy my car (seriously!), this experience taught me that you can’t create a customer service mentality if you don’t give people permission to perform. So, don’t make your team feel like they are playing ‘Simon Says’, give them permission to do a great job!

How would permission change things in your organization?  Do you have permission to even raise the topic of permission?  Challenge yourself and challenge others if this is an issue in your organization.

P.S.  I am happy with my new phone and service provider, but was particularly thrilled when calling back to officially cancel the old cell plan only to be greeted with the standard automated response “you are now eligible for an upgrade to your mobile phone…”  It turns out the computer didn’t have the permission either – it was in the phone all the time.