It’s no coincidence that
the world’s biggest businesses insist on uniformity; whether you sip on a
Starbucks espresso in Sydney or London, it will taste identical because
Starbucks know putting consistency at the top of their menu is seriously good
for business.
Systems and procedures enable this to happen and the value to your business is
profound.
It only takes one or two interactions with a customer before their expectations
of you become firmly set. To earn their repeat business you must show that they
can rely on your service.
Even minor inconsistencies in your processes can put people off. They may spot
the cracks long before you and if you’re not careful, you won’t be aware of any
problems until things start to unravel.
Before you start
The first step towards ensuring consistency is to document your procedures.
It may seem petty, but writing down your processes - the way you do
things - gives you the chance to really see how things appear from your
customer’s point of view.
Some procedures may seem minor, like the procedure for answering the phone, for
example. Others appear major, like how and when you chase slow paying clients.
All are of equal importance when it comes to the picture they project and the
confidence with which you can navigate the different aspects of your
business.
Getting started with systems and procedures
It’s best to start with the more complex procedures as they are the ones that
are most vulnerable, then work your way down to the simple, every day tasks.
Begin by starting a master list, continually adding new titles as they come
up.
For example Jo, a hairdresser, used her business as an example of the kind of
procedures common to small business. She began by documenting the key
processes, here’s what she developed:
|
Description
|
How often?
|
| Back up customer database |
Last Friday of the month |
| Check stock levels, reorder as necessary |
Every Friday morning |
| Enter details of customer survey forms into
spreadsheet. Assess what is working, what’s not |
Every Tuesday afternoon |
| Renew domain name |
Annually, first week in May |
| Check database, send card and money-off voucher to
clients with a birthday that week |
Every Monday morning |
| Discard magazines that are two months out of
date |
Last Friday of the month |
| Arrange payment of suppliers |
Every second Tuesday |
| Take delivery of fresh flowers |
Every Wednesday |
| Change water in flowers |
Every morning |
| Polish mirrors and wash basins |
Every evening |
On the face of it, It may seem these processes have little impact on Jo’s
customers, but just imagine the comments if she lets just one slip:
“I got a birthday card and voucher from her last year. This year I got
nothing.”
“The magazines were all dog-eared.”
“The last time I went to her salon, the mirrors were all smudged.”
“I really wanted some more hair wax, but they had sold out.”
And so on.
While some things on Jo’s list were self explanatory, she felt others required
further explanation. For these, she jotted down bullet points under each that
describe the steps to take:
- Back up customer database on the last Friday of the month
- make a recurring appointment in my diary for the last Friday of every
month;
- sort through files on the computer, checking details are correctly
entered;
- transfer copy of the files onto back up CD;
- ensure the CD is accurately labelled before filing.
Inspired by how organised she felt, Jo went on to produce a detailed list of
procedures with a specific focus on customer interaction:
|
Appointment making:
|
Answer telephone within three rings. Set phone to
divert to voicemail after three rings. |
|
|
Return messages the same day. |
|
On arrival:
|
Greet with a smile. Offer to take coat and
bag. |
|
|
Offer a choice of tea, coffee, fresh orange juice
or, if after midday, glass of red or white wine. Accompany drink with luxury
chocolate truffle. |
|
|
Offer them a seat. Spend five minutes consulting
with client to find out what they want done. If open to suggestions, refer to
magazine pictures to give the client ideas. |
|
|
Take them to basin. Spend five minutes on scalp
massage! |
|
|
Ensure drink of their choice is waiting for them
back at the chair. |
|
|
Proceed with styling |
|
On departure:
|
Ask if they would like to make a return
appointment |
|
|
Check their details in your database are up to
date |
|
|
Ask if they have time to participate in a
survey |
|
Follow up:
|
Call clients who have not returned after two
months |
‘I’ve never felt better organised and business is better than ever!’ Jo said of
life post-procedures. She learnt that in the cutthroat world of hairdressing,
it takes more than a good haircut to ensure customer loyalty.
Procedures also make life a lot easier when it comes to stepping away from our
business. Should Jo go on holiday she can print out a copy of her procedures to
her stand in. This makes both their lives easier. Plus a business with
documented procedures is far easier to sell than one where all the know-how
resides in a business owner’s head.
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