Last week I was at my go-to Kroger store picking up a few things for our New Year’s Eve gathering (was that just last week?). Over the years I have given feedback, face-to-face and “pro bono,” to the manager of this once smaller market that is now a superstore. Each time, the store manager took to heart the feedback and I could see change happening over time, to lesser and greater degrees but always in the right direction.
But now, it is as though these years of incremental progress in developing their customer experience behaviors have led to something quite remarkable and provable even at the busiest of times: during the holiday crowds!
When I experience such a degree of service in a retail environment, I must admit, it is a bit surreal. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I’m wired to notice the skills and practices being learned, demonstrated and mastered. And every now and then, I experience that moment where I can see and feel that the effort gives way to a culture of authenticity and, well, genuine happiness.
So in Checkout Lane 14 last week at my Kroger store in Bellbrook, Ohio, I experienced a culture of customer service excellence. Folks, cultural transformation can be done. And when it happens there are tell-tale signs that are undeniable, the most significant being this: frontline employees are happy and they actually make their customers happy to be there.
This cultural “happiness” goes deep into the organization. Case in point: even the big guy pushing the huge cart for cleanup smiled as he told the bagger at the end of Checkout Lane 14 that he would be glad to help her once he did the cleanup in aisle 20-something – a little boy had just “lost his lunch” and he wanted to be sure to take care of that quickly. And he smiled. He was happy. Imagine that. Even the unpleasant tasks are met with can-do, will-do and genuine smiles! It’s that kind of smile that comes from the heart – and you can’t fake that.
It’s a process to get to a culture that smiles, authentically and genuinely, but it can be done. People see it, feel it and need it and, perhaps, in your corner of the world, for just that moment, the world feels like a little better place.
Credit Union CEOs, here’s a good challenge for your leaders in your next strategy session: “How do we transform our culture into one that genuinely smiles – from the heart?” It can be done.
