Lon McNeil Archive

Lon McNeil is an independent marketing consultant in Albany and can be reached at lonmcneil@gmail.com.

Continuing with my driving metaphor from last week; it’s always a stressful time when your child begins to drive. Even if they are responsible, mature young people, the risk and responsibility that hitting the road means, can be worrisome. There are some nuts on the road. But it’s a part of modern life, so we adjust and move on. The future is truly in the hands of our young people.

The driver’s seat of our local economy is the checkout line and the cash register. It’s the connection between a business and the customer. Customer service is the single most important factor in any business. Treat your customers right, give them an enjoyable purchasing experience, and they are likely to return. They may even pay a little more for that. Don’t treat them right, and most likely they will not return if they have choice. They may even share their less than pleasant moment. Bad news travels fast.

The vast majority of those serving in these vital roles are our young people. They are the front line in Albany’s economic battle. The quality of customer service they offer, the tone they set, the attitudes they express, can make or break a business and our collective future.

The more that understand their position of power and opportunity in the system, the better things will get. They need all the help us old warriors can bring to table. The most common reaction of a young employee to positive motivation is an immediate display of energy and enthusiasm.  It changes the entire mood of the work area or establishment.

Obviously, everyone is different, with strengths and weaknesses, so the first step in customer service is the hiring process. Matching the right person to the right job is a critical decision. The manager must weigh all the variables, and then go with the best option. That alone, pushes serious job candidates to put themselves forward in the best possible way; the core attribute of customer service.

One good thing about bad times is that it makes those offered a new job, more grateful and aware of their opportunity. That’s a motivation that no bonus program can top. Appreciation for the job easily transfers to an appreciation of the customer, which makes it a genuine, natural thing to welcome customers with a smile, and be as helpful as possible. There’s no faking sincerity.

Now it’s just a matter of training and channeling this energy. A good manager makes every effort possible to fine tune any training programs to those skill sets that are most critical, and will instill confidence when mastered. There’s no such thing as a perfect way to train, so flexibility is important. Those being trained very often have good ideas on how to make it better for others, and what else should be taught. A good manager listens to those ideas. This also builds a sense of ownership with the employee. Young people are no different than the rest of us. We all want to be a relevant part of something worthwhile and successful.

Older folks need to remind our younger citizens that they actually have the power to change not only their own lives, but the future of Albany and the surrounding area. They probably have more influence on our economy than any other single group. But it’s not easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. Those of us with a few years under our belt know that to be true. Those younger can only come to know this the same way we did, through their choices and experiences. But they do so in rapidly changing times. Sometimes I don’t know how they manage to cope with it all, but most do. That should give us hope.  I try to remember to offer a few words of thanks or encouragement when the customer service has been good.

It’s common talk to hear how bad customer service is in Albany. I can understand it. It’s a real problem, and it has to be dealt with if we are to get our local economy off the dime. We vote with our purchasing power, but what if we reversed the emphasis? Instead of telling our friends where not to go, share with them where they should go. “You have to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative”; yes, I’m using a Perry Como reference. Those young folks behind the register may never have heard of him, but with the right motivation, they can come to seem the wisdom in Mr. C’s lyric, and take the wheel of Albany with confidence.

Lon McNeil is an independent marketing consultant in Albany and can be reached at lonmcneil@gmail.com.

As a marketing consultant in Southwest Georgia, I get an opportunity to speak with a variety of local business owners and managers. Every situation has its own unique challenges and opportunities, but there are some shared experiences and concerns that taken as a whole can tell us a lot about our economy. What I’ve seen in the last few months is a desire to move forward, but reluctance to move now. Everyone says, “When the economy improves, we plan to (fill in the plan)…”. What everyone knows, but hesitates to say, is that we collectively, are the economy. Nobody wants to be first in the pool.

No, it has nothing to do with the Mayan calendar, although I have heard that thrown into the mix a time or two. The primary concern is government intrusion and tax policy. The effect that a nationally mandated health care program, “Obamacare” as it is called, will have on business, is the single largest issue. Unknowns kill investment. Changes in federal, state, or local policies can be difficult to monitor or understand. History as taught those that have been in business for years, that what the government says something is going to cost, and what it actually ends up costing, are two different numbers. New programs never come in under budget, and rarely at it. This concern is long-standing, will not go away anytime soon, if ever, and can only be dealt with at the ballot box. That’s a slow and frustrating process for a businessman trying to make payroll each month.

The second largest concern by Albany businesses I hear is the work force. Many local employers still complain about the availability of a good, customer friendly, reliable worker. This problem is in two parts. First is the undereducated, poorly trained in the most basic of social skills prospect that may have the desire to go to work, but just does not have the qualifications.  The second group is educated and more comfortable in their people skills, but thinks that the work out there is beneath them. The sense of “entitlement” is not exclusive to people receiving government support. In short; the work ethic of Albany’s work force on both ends of the economic ladder is self-defeating.

However, this does present a wonderful opportunity for change and improvement, not only in the lives of individuals looking for work, but also the community at large. As my father use to say, “When others are slacking off, not doing their best, and leaving the job undone, it’s easier to shine.” It’s true. Sadly, when you have a pleasant experience at a checkout counter here, because the employee is friendly, helpful, and good at their job, it stands out. It may actually be the highlight of your day.

One business owner I work with has gone through a number of customer service reps this last year, and he fully expects that revolving door to continue. “The bad employees will easily camp out here and do the bare minimum to keep their job, while the really good people find better opportunities and move on. It’s very frustrating, and takes up a lot of my time in hiring and training.”

The recent election that gave us Dorothy Hubbard as our first female mayor was a clear choice between a pure business approach to local government in businesswoman, B.J. Fletcher, and the more status quo approach with Hubbard. Many believe it was the fear of real change, and race politics combined, that dictated the outcome, yet most seem willing to give Hubbard a chance to lead Albany forward. That’s not surprising. It’s a practical business stance; to take the situation as you know it to be, and make the most out of it. It’s much better than dealing with an unknown.

What all this tells me is that you can crunch the numbers and run the P&L all day long, but ultimately what decide the fate of a business is the people involved. The owner has to set the proper expectations, and the employees must have a pro-growth approach to their job. By helping their boss be successful, they are helping their own future. The business must have the core belief in what they do, to step out and take manageable risks. Waiting for the economy to get better before we give our best effort, is ensuring that the economy will stay in the garage, waiting for someone to take the wheel. We are the economy.