You’re a CEO... what is your job?

 Like many men, when I am taken shopping, my desire wanes quickly and I soon find my attention wandering.  So, in December, I had an unusual amount of time to kill.  At one particular chain store, I found myself feeling fortunate.  There was a seat to sit in and it was off to the side of the long lines of shoppers ready to complete their purchases. 

At first, I noticed the cueing was moving with halting slowness, pretty normal. Then the store greeter said he was going on break and a man of about thirty to thirty five took the greeter’s place.  At first, nothing seemed to be different, then I began to notice the shoppers in line were moving with less of stop and more go.  I became interested.  I watched. 

The first thing I noticed was the overwhelmed cashiers, about ten of them, were no longer shouting for shoppers to step up to the next open cash register.  Why? Because the young man had moved from the front door (still greeting customers as they entered) and was standing toward the front of the line and engaging the shoppers.  What I learned, as I listened, was that he was doing triage.  By asking a few questions he was able to address the unusual situations and with information, direct the available cashier to the core of the issue (a return, exchange, a special request for the item in a particular color) at hand and prepare (as the customer walked over to that cashier) the cashier for what to focus on. 

I thought to myself, “Now this is smart!  Line standing is one of the places that dramatically reduce positive customer experience and this guy is speeding up the line.”  As I watched and listened it got better.  The young man was (without shouting) preparing each cashier for their next customer AND as he was talking, he was directing his remarks to more than one cashier at a time. 

After three or four customers (Oh yes, I was there for quite a while) it became clear to me that he was using each unusual event/issue as a training opportunity.  This was no “greeter”, no equivalent of the under paid receptionist in professional services firms.  This was in fact the store manager and he was doing employee training, in real time and with customers listening and appreciating that he was making their stay in line faster and more positive. 

Their language was respectful of the customers and clearly showed that they wanted to solve problems and make the customer happy. 

This young man was not critical of any employee.  In fact, without the customers feeling ignored, he was engaging his staff and cashiers were commenting to each other about some of the issues and how they might handle the issue. 

So, I ask you... as CEO of your firm, do you see one of your jobs as coaching employees?  How and when do you coach/teach your employees?  Is it done away from the view of your customers/clients, or in front of them?