THE SSA EXTRA APPROACH

Transcription

1 THE SSA EXTRA APPROACH EXTRA Administrative focuses on internal guest service, emphasizing ways to take care of and support those internal guests (employees, clients, peers). E X T R A EVERY GUEST IS GREETED XPRESS YOUR KNOWLEDGE TIMELY SERVICE REMEMBER TO SUGGEST APPRECIATE

2 Why is this important? In one word: Culture. By servicing one another internally, we build a culture of teamwork. Many of the people we work with serve our external guests; to help our co-workers do their best, it is important to provide fellow employees with what they need. The core of great external guest service starts from within. E X T R A This training guide: Defines the EXTRA Guest Service approach of every administrative employee in SSA and provides the SSA-branded way of taking care of our internal guests. Use this in tandum with EXTRA general service, as external guest service will still be called for in your daily functions when putting on your operations hat. 2

3 Who is your internal guest? They are anyone within your cultural attraction team, whether it be an SSA employee, client, or vendor; who is depending on you for information, to meet a deadline, or to accomplish a goal. Similarities and differences between an external guest and an internal guest: SIMILARITIES They both involve educating and sharing knowledge. They are both crucial to the overall success of SSA. DIFFERENCES External guests bring revenue, wheras internal guests work together to drive revenue. Internal guests help each other get their jobs done. 3

4 Answer every question. Many times, employees will have questions. Whatever the question, you need to be prepared to answer, or offer to find out from someone else. NEVER say, I don t know without offering to seek the answer. Use your resources: Your General Manager or Direct Leader Your team The HR Survival Guide PeopleDepartment@kmssa.com can assist with payroll and Stratex questions, employee incidents, and overall HR-related inquiries Your state government website (e.g., 4

5 E every guest is greeted When an employee comes to us with questions, we want them to immediately feel welcome and supported. Remember, an employee does not have the opportunity to choose somebody else to receive guest service from, so it's important that we do what we can to make their experience great from the start. 5

6 Smile and acknowledge. When someone walks into your office or work area, smile! Regardless of your relationship with the individual, smile and be cordial. Even if you re busy counting banks or processing paperwork, or if you are already working with another employee, you should still acknowledge the individual who just walked in and suggest that you will be right with them. View interruptions as an opportunity. Sometimes, it can be easy to think of an interruption as a hindrance; however, if an employee interrupts you with a question e.g., a manager needs attendance numbers for a report it will help the team s overall success in the long run. Embrace the opportunity to help others with what they need to get their jobs done. 6

7 Be attentive and assess the situation. Sometimes, employees may come by with a simple question, such as how to set up direct deposit. Other times, an employee may have a more pressing concern, such as an issue with a fellow employee. Actively engage with your internal guest by being attentive to both verbal and nonverbal cues is the employee smiling and laughing? Or, does the employee have an upset tone of voice, seem to be in a troubled mood, and have their arms crossed? There is more to the interaction than just the words that are spoken. 7

8 X XPRESS YOUR KNOWLEDGE Sharing knowledge about what the employee needs to know, such as information about policies and procedures, is a very important step in providing EXTRA internal guest service. 8

9 Make sure new hires have the right information. As part of a new hire s introduction to the company, make sure they have the tools to succeed for example, they should know who their managers are, how to call in properly, what the meal policy is, etc. Keep employees informed. Make sure employees are updated when there is new information or a policy change. Make the information known in as many places as possible for example, post the policy by the timeclocks, message it out to employees, and talk to employees about it in person as you see fit. 9

10 Never assume that somebody already knows something. Sometimes, what seems like an easy concept might not be known by another person. For example, it may seem like common knowledge to make sure that change is counted back to a guest during a cash transaction; however, an employee may have never cashiered before, so it s important to review even the most basic of concepts during training. Actively build upon what you know and continue to share it. Always look for opportunities to learn more! For example, get to know fun facts about the account you re working at e.g., information about the recent birth of an animal at your zoo or new exhibit at your museum and share that with fellow employees as the opportunity arises. Passing along information like this to fellow employees could help them improve their guest service when interacting with external 10

11 T TIMELY SERVICE Internal guests want the quickest assistance possible whenever they have a question or are looking for service. 11

12 Set clear expectations. Be transparent to the employee you re helping about what they can reasonably expect. If you feel that you won t be able to meet their request, explain your current workflow and come up with a reasonable solution together. Don't mistake fast service with effective service. While it s important to help fellow employees with what they need as quickly as we can, do not rush through their request. This is no different than standing in line for food while you want the line to move quickly, you still want your order to be correct, and you still want your food to taste good. A coworker who comes to you for help is no different; while they want their request fulfilled quickly, it also needs to be done correctly. 12

13 Keep your internal guest informed on progress. You can never communicate too much give updates regarding your progress on their request. Communicating consistently will save time in the long run of trying to clear up any misunderstandings that could occur otherwise. Try not to blindside the requester with last minute requests for additional information. Balance communication with face-to-face conversation. is a great way to communicate, especially for quick answers and/or for when the requester may need to refer to your answer again later. However, ing too much can be a crutch, so be sure to supplement with in-person conversation as appropriate. Deliver on your promises and communicate when you can't. Follow through on your commitments if you say you ll meet a deadline, then make sure you meet it. However, there may be occasional instances in which you cannot meet a deadline; if this is the case, communicate to the requester and provide the applicable updates. 13

14 R REMEMBER TO SUGGEST Now that you have taken the time and listened to your internal guests' needs, this is your opportunity to show or suggest items to meet their needs. 14

15 Expressed and unexpressed wishes Both are important. For example, an employee may ask for their login information for estratex so that they can access their paystubs. Rather than sending them just their login information, you can also include the steps they need to take to find their paystubs on the site. 15

16 Promote learning, development, and self-empowerment opportunities. Being in an administrative position, you serve as a role model to other employees in the workplace, and you have a unique connection to all departments within the facility. If an employee talks to you about wanting to grow with the company, talk them through what that may look like (e.g., encourage them to vocalize their interests to their direct leader). Or, maybe you are a Unit Controller and you have an Office Assistant who is ready to take on more responsibility, so you give them more job duties. Any time that you can encourage growth in the workplace, do so showing investment in employees is beneficial for workplace morale. 16

17 A APPRECIATE Our internal guests should feel appreciated, and they should know that their work really matters to us. 17

18 Get to know your internal guest. Being personable is crucial to providing good internal guest service. For example, are they currently in school? What do they like to do for fun? Continue building on those conversations each time you speak with them. Showing them genuine interest and that you remember those little things will go a long way in making them feel valued. Celebrate success. Inspire further success by recognizing the wins as they happen. Give a new hire a Hi-5 for getting their first promo, tell a team member good job for upselling a souvenir cup, or congratulate an employee for their two-year work anniversary. Fostering a positive workplace will increase employee engagement and productivity. 18

19 Say thank you. Take the time to say thank you at least one time each day to an employee. It can be as simple as saying the words, thank you, or it could be giving praise at a meeting, giving them a shout-out on a recognition board using your EXTRA cards, or providing an opportunity for empowerment and self-management. Employees who feel appreciated will be more motivated, and motivated employees will give great service to our external guests. Be sincere, regardless of the situation. Keep up the great work. You re doing awesome! I d be happy to help you! It s important that you re happy at work. How can we make that happen? Thank you for coming to me about this issue. You did the right thing. Is there anything else that I can help you with? I heard you got seven promos yesterday. Way to go! 19

20 SUMMARY Internal guest service is key to helping employees do their jobs, which in turn allows them to provide great service to our external guests. The true goal in all of this is to establish a trust relationship with your internal guests. Remember, internal guest service is key to making the workplace better for all. YOU make an impact! 20