The PJ (poor joke) above might no longer remain a PJ if banana peel is replaced by a typical problematic situation one encounters in daily routine. The question remains unanswered then: Why do some people find it difficult to act beyond cure? They do think 'Prevention is The Best Cure' though! I was no different from them! But now my journey is gathering speed, hopefully in the direction that the blog is supposed to drive towards. Checkout my other blogs and work at http://www.worldOFkaizen.com/

Saturday 2 March 2013

Does recognition really matter

Message on wall was self-explanatory as in the picture.

So I 'rang the bell'.

A few people looked up. Some gave smile. Others quickly got themselves busy in their work.

The relationship executive who delivered satisfactory experience gave a cute smile full of satisfaction at her personal level.

I said 'thank you' to her. Came back home with my 'instant debit card' and a couple of other pending works completed in the bank.

What did she do differently to deserve the 'bell of satisfaction'?

Like her name, fragrance of her multitasking was clearly evident on a busy Saturday morning in a typical bank: Correcting a wrong entry in the passbook on the spot, issuing  a debit card, helping someone to fill in a form, answering a telephone query, apologising for a waiting-customer, etc. All with a smile and a sense of urgency.

But something was surely missing in the system although the bell gave a feeling like a temple with it's strings in the hands of customer as God.

The mechanism was certainly good with good intent but it could have been better with a little enhanced sensitivity. 

An employee may do everything possible in her individual capacity to satisfy a customer. But if one expects every employee to do so to everyone everytime then in the case such as above, the situation could have been leveraged a bit more.

For instance, a designated member of the top team or boss of the employee who delivered satisfactory performance could have immediately appeared on the scene for a couple of seconds though in order to clap for the employee as well as customer.

It (offering a differentiated service in a uniquely different situation) might matter to an employee if 's/he and her such work' matters to others, to colleagues and superiors in particular. Otherwise it's her duty by rule anyway forcing her to 'service with a smile(-mask).

Alternatively, there should have been a display board just below the bell displaying name and photo of the 'last week's heroes who got the bell'. If involved, employees themselves may suggest innovative ways.

In short, the system fell short of some immediate recognition from insiders that surely has some 'shelf-life' resulting in extended employee engagement and thereby customer satisfaction as a bye product.

Also it may be worth surveying whether most satisfied customers were engaged in using the system in past. How many satisfied customers express their gratitude just as a dissatisfied customer promptly bad-mouths to at least 10 prospective ones?

The doubt is because when I did, some gave me a surprise look indicating 'does it (the acknowledgement of good work) really matter'.

Yes it does. It's like a breath to get motivated human behavior, the lingering fragrance of which can be easily 'smelt, felt and seen' by anyone.

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