Development of a standard for retail. Standardization of business processes in the store. Work on writing standards in a working group

Ivleva Tatyana

At the moment, there is no single approach or any classical technology for developing service standards. The main purpose of service standards is to create a unique competitive advantage for the company. Therefore, standards are the unconditional “know-how” of any company, and there are simply no “standards for writing standards”.

The process of creating standards is a long and painstaking procedure, requiring patience and significant time investment on the part of the participants in this process. Therefore, I will also try to suggest some approaches that will optimize this process and make it more time-saving.

Definition of “Personnel Performance Standards” and “Customer Service Standards”. Difference and relationship between the “Standards” and other internal corporate documents

One of the frequently asked questions is how standards differ from other documents available in the organization, such as job descriptions. Let's try to figure it out by analyzing the main types and types of documents that regulate the work of personnel in an organization.

Documentation:

	Document and its type	Purpose of the document	Who is it for?	By whom is it formulated or approved?
	Company mission and values ​​(declarative)	Determines the key basic values ​​and meaning of the company’s existence in society, its social mission		Owners and top managers
	Code of Corporate Conduct (declarative)	Describes the organization's expectations from the behavior of personnel and their attitude towards various aspects of interaction in the company (with clients, management, colleagues).	For all employees of the organization	Owners and top managers
	Internal labor regulations (technical)	Handles disciplinary issues and procedures common to all employees	For all employees of the organization	Head of the organization. The contents of the document are regulated by labor legislation
	Job descriptions (technical)	Describe WHAT the duties of employees include, their powers and responsibilities	For each position	Head of the organization
All of the above documents are important for writing standards and should be used when writing them. IMPORTANT: standards should not duplicate the content of these documents, but may disclose exactly how the requirements of these documents should be fulfilled.
	Staff standards	They describe WHAT AND HOW employees should do to perform their job duties efficiently. General standards can be identified for all employees of the company and individual ones for each position.	General - for all employees, individual - for each position (if necessary, can be specified taking into account the specific tasks of employees in the same position)	Company managers, immediate managers
	Technology standards (technical)	Describe the procedure for providing the service/technical knowledge requirements. characteristics of the product, as well as criteria for the condition of those areas, tools, documentation, etc., for which they are responsible.	For each position	Direct managers or product manufacturers
	Customer Service Standards (Technical)	Describe the rules and requirements for direct interaction with clients	For each position	Direct managers

Personnel work standards are formalized and specific requirements for those personnel actions that employees must perform with a certain frequency, in a certain order, at a certain time or in typical situations.

Customer Service Standards are part of the Staff Standards that relate to direct interaction with customers.

Goals of implementing “Standards” in an organization, expected effects and results

The main goal is to provide the company with a strategic competitive advantage. The presence of standards guarantees the client that, regardless of which of the company’s employees he communicates with, he will receive service of “branded” quality, which is inherent in this brand.

Objectives of implementing standards:

• unify the actions of personnel in various areas. This is of particular relevance for chains seeking to achieve brand recognition through uniformity in the provision of services and the quality of customer service.
• Make work procedures as clear as possible for employees (not only WHAT to do, but also HOW). This is primarily relevant for line personnel, in whose activities a large number of similar/standard actions or situations can be identified.
• Create grounds for transparent and objective assessment of employee performance

Effects and results from the implementation of the Standards:

• Achieving uniform quality of service delivery and customer service for all network points or distinctive features of a retail outlet (“recognizable”, “predictable” service).
• Optimization of work processes and procedures (elimination of unnecessary or erroneous actions on the part of personnel)
• Clarity of the work process for employees, minimization of time spent by managers on adaptation of new employees
• Increasing employee motivation due to their understanding of the criteria for evaluating work and the work of colleagues

What Standards Can't Do:

• Reeducate employees in terms of their attitude towards clients (therefore you need to select the “right” people)
• Replace the control function on the part of the manager (the presence of standards will not ensure their automatic execution, therefore the control function on the part of the manager is very important. However, standards significantly facilitate the control procedure).

Defining the criteria that must be met for effective staff and customer service standards

Staff performance standards must meet the following criteria:

• Specificity - should not contain vague and ambiguous wording that allows different interpretations by people with different education, upbringing, experience, etc.

Employees must wear daytime makeup	Employees are required to wear makeup. Allowed use: Eyeshadow in pastel tones in a natural shade (beige, greenish, baked milk color) Shades of lipstick or lip gloss close to natural (natural pink, light brown) Blush in a soft pink or peach shade Black or brown mascara
The lighting in the room should be bright in the evening and appropriate to the weather during the day	Lighting must meet the following requirements: In the evening - all lighting fixtures are turned on (ceiling and wall) In the daytime, in cloudy weather, ceiling lights are turned on; in clear weather, only wall lighting or no lighting is allowed.

• Measurability - if the standard requires an employee to perform an action within a certain time or with a quality that can be measured in any units, then this time or units of measurement must be clearly recorded

A combination of vagueness and non-measurable formulation is often found.

• Reality of execution - standards should not contain mutually exclusive or contradictory requirements. In addition, employees must understand what resources or techniques they can use to meet the requirements of the standards.

Incorrect wording of the standard

Correct wording of the standard

An employee is required to greet each visitor entering the sales area with the phrase “Good afternoon, what would you like to see?” The employee is obliged to maintain constant contact with the client during the process of servicing him, and has no right to be distracted by conversations with employees or other visitors

1. If the employee is not busy serving the customer, he must greet each visitor entering the sales area with the phrase “Good afternoon, can I help you and advise you?” 2. The employee is obliged to maintain constant contact with the client in the process of serving him, and has no right to be distracted by conversations with employees or other visitors. 3. If all employees are busy with service, and at the same time new visitors appear in the sales area, the employee closest to them should apologize to his client, greet the new visitor and invite him to start getting acquainted with the assortment/look at catalogs on his own, asking him to wait, until one of the consultants is free, and return to the conversation with the client being served.

• Transparency to employees of the goals that are achieved by complying with a standard - Employees will be sincere in complying with standards only if they understand what a particular standard is intended to do, what customer need it satisfies, and how non-compliance with the standard might make the customer feel. This criterion is important primarily in relation to those standards that regulate contact with clients.

An example of writing a standard in accordance with this condition:

• Relevance - standards must change in accordance with new tasks, approaches, requirements and strategy of the company.
• Providing employees with autonomy within the limits of their authority, variability of standards - first of all, this criterion relates to customer service standards. Standards should leave some freedom for creativity and personal expression of employees. This allows you to avoid “robotization” of service and introduce elements of sincerity and personal attitude from employees. The principle of “necessity and sufficiency” of standards must be observed; the service process in most companies cannot be standardized 100%.
• Comprehensiveness - standards (including customer service standards) must cover all company personnel, and not just positions directly responsible for working with customers.
• Economic feasibility – standards must be economically justifiable. If the implementation of standards results in unjustified costs for the company, it is inappropriate to introduce such a standard.
• Recommended criterion: adherence to a single structure of standards for all positions. This allows employees to quickly navigate the requirements, and managers to more clearly and systematically monitor compliance with standards.

Algorithm for developing standards for personnel performance and customer service

1. Determine the type of competitive advantage according to which standards will be developed.

Trout's Framework: Competitive advantage can be realized in three ways:

• Price-quality ratio". Requires a set of the most important parameters for the consumer for minimal money, aimed at satisfying client benefits such as practicality and economy
• Position “best in product”. Assumes that a product (goods + service) has a unique quality in one or more parameters. This strategy serves such needs as prestige, reliability, and the desire to emphasize one’s individuality.
• The strategy of “closeness to the consumer” involves the provision of a service needed by a specific client, an individual attitude.

Standard requirements:

• If a company implements a “price-quality ratio” strategy, then standards that help reduce the client’s costs for purchasing a product are important. Therefore, standards are needed for the purchasing department, as well as for participants in the entire technological chain through which the product passes. For salespeople with a practice-oriented strategy, standards often describe speed and ease of service.
• If a company implements the “best in product” strategy, then the seller needs to: know the product well; be able to conduct a comparative analysis with cheaper products (the phrases “our price is high because the product is of high quality”, “everything breaks right away”, “we guarantee quality” do not count), and also know situations in which the client needs exactly the best product. Thus, offering the most reliable equipment that will function for 100 years, but the client intends to update this product once every five years, is inappropriate, and it is important to help the client make a choice towards a less expensive product.
• If a company implements a strategy of “closeness to the consumer,” then the highest demands are placed on the work of the seller. In order to realize the company's competitive advantage - an individual solution to the client's problem - the seller must be able to collect the maximum amount of information about the buyer, and also clearly understand in what situation what changes to the product are necessary for the client. In addition, when implementing such a strategy, the seller must become “your guy” and be able to carry on a conversation not only about shades of nail polish, but also about the latest in fashion, yachting, the difficulties of relationships with relatives, etc.

• Regardless of the price segment and type of competitive advantage, the client wants to receive attention and sincerity in communication.
• the standards must be high enough to satisfy and anticipate the needs of the target client audience, but not so expensive for it that it does not scare away clients with cost indicators.

1. Consider the organizational structure, select positions to be described in the standards.

When considering the organizational structure and selecting positions for standardization, it is important to consider the following points:

 Positions whose functionality is procedural in nature are subject to standardization, i.e. largely consists of cyclical actions repeated during the working day or for a longer period of time, incl. if these procedures relate to interaction with clients. The work of line specialists can be standardized to one degree or another in all areas. If a company plans to work on implementing standards gradually, then it is better to start with those positions that have direct contact with customers.

 The more independence in decision making the position assumes, the more difficult it is to describe the standards. For managers, starting from the department head level, you can use only standards that are common to all employees of the organization, and also describe the technical aspects of activities and issues related to ensuring reporting.

1. Describe the vision of the “ideal” service in accordance with the selected type of competitive advantage.

If the company has a written mission and values, and a code of corporate conduct, these documents can be used to formulate a vision.

At this stage, it is important to form two types of visions:

1. A vision of the “ideal” organization as a whole.
2. A vision of the “ideal” work of an employee in each specific standardized position.

Company Vision:

When forming a company vision, it is important to answer the following questions:

	Bank or brokerage house	Boutique, fashion club, beauty salon
How should our clients see the company?	Measured, everything is clearly organized and predictable, giving a feeling of stability and solidity	Dynamic, quickly resolving any issues, offering a non-standard approach, giving the client a feeling of his individuality, uniqueness, originality
What should be the relationship between employees?	Employees are part of a single mechanism. Each is a highly qualified specialist and is responsible for his own area. The roles are clearly defined.	Employees are partners. The most important thing is to achieve a team result. Employees should always be willing to help a colleague, even at the expense of their own time and tasks.
What should be the relationship between managers and subordinates?	A clearly structured hierarchy, strict discipline, observance of subordination, the impossibility of discussing the manager’s decisions, and their strict execution.	Communications are democratic in nature; disagreement with the manager’s opinion is allowed if the employee is confident in the effectiveness of the solution he proposes. Friendliness, sometimes reaching the level of informal relations between managers and employees.

Vision for specific positions:

When developing a position vision, it is important to answer the following questions:

	Fashion store consultant	Cleaning department employee at a fitness club
What impression should an employee in this position make on the client (features of appearance and behavior)	The employee must be well-groomed, look modern, and demonstrate the latest fashion trends. At the same time, the employee should not “suppress” the client, demonstrate his external superiority or obvious better knowledge in matters of fashion and style. Must come across as a competent professional.	The employee should be as inconspicuous as possible. In situations of contact with a client (the client makes a request or complaint), he is kind and helpful.
The nature of the relationship between this position and the client	An unobtrusive advisor, a delicate and competent assistant and consultant.	Provides cleanliness and comfort for guests without attracting attention
What types of customer interaction situations may occur?	1. Serving a new client. 2. Serving a regular customer. 3. Consultation with a potential client 4. Client's complaint.	Communication when making a request or complaint from a client
What stages of communication with the client can be implemented by the position	1. Greeting the guest. 2. Identifying needs 4. Trying on 5. Discussion of doubts and objections. 6. Offering additional services. 7. Sales registration 8. Ending the contact.	1. Greeting the guest. 2. The guest makes a request. 3. Guest filing a complaint.
Specific situations that arise when performing functions or interacting with clients		The need to change clothes repeatedly when cleaning wet areas
Territory and equipment for which the position is responsible	1. Sales area and fitting rooms. 2. Cash register area. 3. Cash register. 4. Terminal for paying with plastic cards	Ground floor hall, swimming pool, sauna. Cleaning equipment, household chemicals used for cleaning (list).
Documents for which the position is responsible	1. Sales report (monthly, daily) 2. Cash book 3. Invoices 4. Price tags	1. Cleaning log. 2. Journal of detergent consumption.

To form a vision, it is necessary to take into account the opinions of 3 parties:

1. Owners and managers of the company.

Methods: group discussion, meeting, brainstorming, analysis of independent research results.

1. Employees who directly provide customer service.

Methods: brainstorming, role-playing game “Company Client”, analysis of service quality research results, comparative analysis with competitors.

1. Clients.

Methods: interviews, questionnaires, participatory analysis of service procedures, focus groups.

1. In addition, in order to “detune” from competitors, to find moments where the company has the opportunity to demonstrate a clear advantage or to identify bright “selling” moments, you can visit competitors under the guise of a client. This procedure is especially useful because it allows you to feel in the client’s shoes, look at the service process from the “other side,” and understand the important points in service for the client.

1. Identify blocks of requirements that should apply to all employees.

Main sections:

1. General standards of employee behavior and customer relations
2. Submitting customer requests or complaints
3. Telephone etiquette
4. Relationships with managers
5. Relationships with colleagues

Each block, if appropriate, must be divided into main components in accordance with the most typical situations that arise in work (for example, communication with a new client and communication with a regular client, etc.)

1. Select blocks of standards for each position.

Basic (classification is given from the point of view of ease of control and description of standards):

1. Service standards - visible to customers (external)

1.1. Technical standards

• Appearance
• condition of the accountable premises
• condition of reporting equipment

1.2. Interoperability Standards

 Describing the procedure for interaction with the client

1. Service standards - invisible (internal)

 Procedures hidden from the eyes of clients (cleaning, preparing the premises for use, etc.).

 preparation of documents and reports

1. Technological standards (related to the regulation of production processes by employees).

The general principle is to first specify the most frequently occurring situations or procedures, and then disclose them in the standards.

The procedure for organizing the development of Standards in the company.

1. Creation of a working group.

Rules for creating a working group:

• The working group should include heads of client departments, a human resources manager, a service manager, some of the employees who work directly with clients, and, if possible, a marketer. The inclusion of ordinary specialists in the working group is important not only in order to take into account their opinion as people who best understand the nuances of the service process, but also to facilitate the subsequent implementation of standards in work.
• The project manager for the development of standards must be given the authority to request information and organize interaction with the management and owners of the company. If the company has a strictly structured hierarchical management system, the team leader must be among the top managers in order to receive the appropriate authority.
• To develop standards for individual positions, employees or managers whose opinions and information may be important, as well as external experts - specialists in the field of service or in professional fields, can be involved in the work.
• It is advisable that the working group include an expert (internal or external) who can carry out intermediate and final audits of the standards.

1. Determining those responsible for various areas of work and standardizing individual positions.
2. Collection of information regarding the vision and expectations of the content of the standards from the company's management, employees, clients (i.e., the formation of visions through appropriate activities).
3. Work on writing standards in a working group.

• A plan for the development of standards is determined (indicating the deadlines and those responsible for each stage)
• Meetings of working groups are held regularly, with established frequency. The frequency is determined by how quickly the final standards need to be developed.
• The person responsible for the unit summarizes the information received from management, employees, and clients and presents the draft standard for consideration by members of the working group (it is advisable that members of the working group have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the standard before the meeting, and during the meeting to discuss any wishes and comments that have arisen).
• During the discussion of the working group, additions and clarifications are made to the standards, and if necessary, additional experts are involved. The working group should also evaluate the standards in terms of their compliance with the criteria of the standards (measurability, specificity, etc.), if necessary, the standard is finalized. At this stage it is also important to assess whether the standard is mandatory and whether it can be replaced by another solution. If such proposals arise, it is necessary to create a list of them, evaluate the budget and the possibility of execution.

1. Audit of the standard.

The final version of the standard is audited by an expert from the working group or external consultants. If this is possible, it can be recommended to ask real clients to evaluate the standard.

Conducting a preliminary audit “in real time” can be very effective, i.e. carrying out a visit to a representative of the target client group in Mystery shopping mode. In this case, the inspector gets acquainted with the proposed standards in advance and during the visit evaluates how appropriate and convenient they are, as well as how realistic, from his point of view, their implementation is.

1. Final revision and design in accordance with the approved design standard and standard structure. Produced by the person responsible for developing this standard. Then the standards are finalized by the working group, taking into account the comments and wishes that have arisen.
2. Approval by the company's management. After final approval, execution and approval by the working group, the standards are presented to the company's management for approval.

Methodology for implementing Standards. Ensuring external and internal control over their compliance.

The implementation of approved standards is carried out in several stages.

In order for the implementation of standards to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to carry out this work systematically and consistently, to allocate a sufficient amount of time for the implementation of standards (with the right approach, the full implementation of standards can take about 6 months).

Stage 1. Informing staff about the beginning of the development and implementation of standards in the organization.

Methods: posting information in a corporate publication, reporting at a general meeting of employees, communicating information through immediate managers. To increase staff motivation and interest in this process and ensure staff involvement, a competition for the best ideas can be announced.

Stage 2. Creation of working groups to develop standards. Including front-line staff in working groups will further the goal of better awareness of the process and will also ensure that front-line staff's views are taken into account, which will facilitate subsequent implementation.

Stage 3. Analysis of approved standards from the point of view of staff having the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as sufficient motivation to implement the standards.

It is advisable at this stage to conduct an assessment from the point of view of compliance of the current state with new service standards in order to see the areas of the strongest discrepancies and draw the attention of staff to them (it is better to do this through the “Mystery shopping” procedure).

Drawing up a plan for teaching missing knowledge and skills, and, if necessary, adjusting the motivation system. If it is planned that the quality of compliance with service standards will influence the motivation system, then change and introduce a new remuneration system. It is more correct to first introduce new standards and give employees time to master them, and only then introduce changes to the Payment System.

Stage 4. Informing employees about the introduction of standards. Clarification of the goals and organizational changes that are associated with the introduction of standards.

Stage 5. Familiarization of employees with the contents of the standards:

1. Familiarity with documents describing standards. Clarification of new procedures and rules.

It is recommended to issue general service standards in the form of a book (if there is a sufficient budget, prepare it with the participation of designers and layout specialists and print it in a printing house), and standards for positions - in the form of separate brochures, because they may change more frequently. Technology standards are often regulated by product manufacturers or service developers, and may be described in brochures or other documents provided by manufacturers.

The design of the standards emphasizes the importance and value of this document for the organization.

1. Conducting training on the implementation of standards (or training in the “field” mode).

Stage 6. Organization of control.

What is not controlled is not executed.

The most effective way is to combine internal and external control procedures.

Internal control is ensured by managers monitoring the work of employees, the results are recorded in specially designed forms.

External control - is ensured by conducting special programs by external specialists (Mystery shopping, survey of real clients after a visit).

Course of 6 webinars
to create sales standards for your company
with practical tasks

Will take place
May 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13, 20, 2017
from 10:00 to 12:00 Moscow time

Everyone needs sales. But standards... Why are they?
“Let’s better find normal sales managers, and everything will go as it should!” - Most managers think so.
And I agree with them, I have exactly the same dream. But still... To understand whether sales standards are needed or whether this is just a fashionable, useless feature, let's look at a few facts.

FACT #1.
What the seller knows ≠ What the company knows.

Typically, salespeople know no more than 50% of the information they need to know. Otherwise, how can we explain the fact that often in situations where a manager cannot sell himself, the manager who gets involved easily does it.

In most cases, the manager knows better the company’s product range, its advantages, and the market situation. All this together gives confidence when communicating with a potential customer, is transferred to him (after all, confidence coming from another is always felt during communication) and helps to conclude an agreement. By the way, the same statistics (in fact No. 1) are also obtained by certification (testing) of personnel for knowledge of the assortment, materials, design programs, etc.

FACT #2
What the seller knows ≠ What he considers necessary to tell the buyer.

Very often, especially from long-time sellers, you hear: “Well, why talk about this (for example, what is MDF and why is it better)? Everyone already knows this...” And, as a rule, they tell a maximum of 50% of what is needed.

CONCLUSIONS FROM FACTS 1 AND 2:

1. Buyers receive a maximum of 25% of the information they need to make a purchasing decision.

2. Buyers postpone their decision until they have collected all the information they need (therefore they continue to visit other retail outlets, stores, centers).

3. Buyers may lose interest in purchasing this type of product and switch their attention to alternative ones (this is discussed in more detail in the article “Features of sales in conditions of falling consumer demand”).

FACT #3
The results of an average seller and a star seller differ by 2-5 times.

In any company there are one or two sellers who sell SIGNIFICANTLY MORE than the rest. This can be explained in different ways: by the personal qualities of the seller, by better knowledge, and by greater motivation. Each explanation has its own truth. Such sellers are often set as examples for other employees.

But the situation in the company as a whole does not change - no one (or practically no one) ever reaches the same sales level.
And a dream appears in the manager’s head: “If only I could find a couple or three of them...!” But even a more thorough selection of personnel cannot identify people who could soon sell as well.

All these facts speak about one thing.
There is no system.
A system of working with clients that provides each Client with a sufficient level of information to make a decision.
A knowledge system that is passed on to every salesperson.
A system that makes sales stars.

Now is SYSTEMS time. And it is impossible to do without Standards, as part of systematic work with the buyer.
But there is no time to create them all the time.
Plus a lack of knowledge about what is important to write down, what can be put off until later, how to formalize them into a document and train them to work on them.

Everything will not improve on its own: there are nowhere to find smart sellers, competitors will not loosen their grip, and buyers will not forgive the stupidity of the work.

You need to sit down and start working on your company right now, at least in terms of working with customers.

Let's create Sales Standards, which will be a serious step in building a system for working with customers.

WHAT THIS ONLINE COURSE WILL GIVE YOU

During the course we will examine in great detail the 3 main standards that you must have, and each of you will create your own based on our standards:

1st Standard. Standard for establishing contact with a store visitor

We will prescribe the main speech modules for each type of buyer directly online.

Type No. 1: “Draft Buyer”(running, rather even flying through the outlet."

Type No. 2: “Excursion Buyer”(walks around the exhibition, without stopping anywhere, avoids contact).

Type No. 3: “Contemplative Buyer”(having entered the exhibition, within 3-5 seconds he approaches a specific product, stops and begins to examine it).

Type No. 4: “Buyer-scout / saboteur”(comes in and immediately contacts the seller or comments on what he sees).

For each type of buyer, the most effective ways to establish contact will be offered and, thus, your sellers will be able to involve more visitors in interaction.

We will also create chains of actions that “hypnotize” visitors. No one will leave you anymore!

2nd Standard. Standard for taking Visitor contacts and transferring them to Developments.

We will prescribe the main speech modules directly online, in which situations it is important for us to take the work from the buyer:
1) I'm in a hurry
2) I want to walk around the shopping center
3) I'll call myself
4) I'll think about it
5) Draw a design project

We will also analyze in detail the call algorithms based on the operating time to obtain an agreement on the date and obligations leading to the sale. Namely:
1) Algorithm for calling after 15 minutes (when the buyer went for a walk around the shopping center)
2) Algorithm for calling at the appointed time You will significantly increase the conversion to sales when you teach salespeople to take the best practices and lead the Client from there to completing the transaction.

3rd Standard. The standard for ending a conversation and closing a deal. We will outline a “pressuring” conversation with the Client so that he can quickly make a decision to purchase furniture.

We will write the main speech modules directly online, how to close a deal in situations where:
1) The buyer is ready to buy
2) The buyer is not ready to buy
Always try to sell! And we will teach you how to do this effectively in the “here and now” mode!

These are the results you can get from the creation and implementation of Standards

Anastasia Plotnikova, HR Director of the Interior Lavka company, www.inlavka.ru, Moscow, says:

“Interior Lavka is a network of 76 showrooms throughout Russia, which offers its clients furniture and interior items in the Provence style, and is the exclusive distributor of famous French brands Comptoir de Famille, Country Corner, Maryse a Paris. In addition to our own retail, we have an extensive franchise network. Clients of the Interior Shop are people accustomed to good service and high quality. And the company’s concept and its style presuppose a special attitude and atmosphere that we create with our own hands. We thought about how to form, at the technology level, uniform high standards of service to our clients. In this case, newly arriving sales consultants would immediately receive the necessary knowledge and understand our expectations and ideas about how to serve clients. These points were especially important to us, as we strive to build long-term relationships with each client. The difficulty in developing standards was that the company presents two formats on the market: furniture (“Country Corner by Interior Shop”) and accessories + furniture (“Interior Shop”). If furniture is a thoughtful and calculated purchase, then accessories are more emotional, so each format had to have its own, special approach. This is the request we made to the International Furniture Personnel Center. As a result, two standards were developed for the sale of furniture and accessories (for two formats) and a plan for their implementation. We outlined a number of events: - this included training for sellers, managers, and our franchisees, and “Mystery Shopping” campaigns were held. Subsequently, we rebuilt both the retail outlet management system and training, creating a visual training manual for sales consultants and organizing a certification system. The introduction of customer service standards increased conversion rates in all salons and, as a result, increased revenue. In addition, the presence of standards has formed a common understanding among the management of our company, representatives of the training center, marketing and retail department specialists of how we want to serve our customers and how this should be done. We managed to adjust the selection process for new employees. Now, during interviews, we first of all pay attention to the candidates’ ability and desire to learn and their willingness to follow company standards.”

Says Sergey Valerievich Khegay, General Director of the Mega Art company, company website www.megasmart.kz:

"We have purchased And in 2013. The results of using your technique were very pleasing. We compared 2013, when we worked without your methodology, and 2014. The average bill in the company increased by 50%. Our average bill in 2013 was 360 thousand tenge per transaction, and now has grown to 540 thousand tenge per transaction. To be honest, I am very pleased with your work and the products you gave us. Because before you I contacted Almaty companies, but they are not specialized specifically for furniture, they are just salesmen. And that sales book that they wrote for us, we paid an inordinate amount of money for it, but we didn’t get any results at all... Well, we took 2-3 points for ourselves and implemented them regarding ethics and trade, and in the rest - nothing. Your book is more detailed; in principle, everything is explained there in an accessible way. And the video material helped us a lot! Because without video material, they tried to hammer into people through a book, read and tell stories - nothing worked... As soon as we started working with your video materials, we managed to reach the employees.”

WHAT ARE SALES STANDARDS?

Sales standards represent the most specific instructions on how to correctly and competently sell to the largest number of visitors to your outlet.

This is a set of ready-made actions and speech modules for each situation with Clients.

This is an algorithm that most likely leads to the desired sales result.
AND This algorithm is different for different product groups.

See the diagram for the sales algorithm for cabinet furniture:

Let me summarize.

WHAT DOES IMPLEMENTATION OF SALES STANDARDS GIVE?

First class service: Standards allow you to create an excellent service, because... sellers begin to serve customers at a high level.

Customer trust: Sales standards help you acquire new customers and improve relationships with existing ones.

Separation from competitors: Standards help you create a sales signature that will help you stand out from your competitors and earn more.

Quick start: Standards are a practical tool for onboarding new employees in a sales department or retail store.

In the online course, we will thoroughly examine how to train sellers to work according to standards. What teaching methods are there, and which of them are the most effective and efficient.

The stage of implementing anything, including the implementation of sales standards, is the key point at which many “stumble” and, as a result, do not achieve their goals.
And you will be able to implement them, knowing the exact technology of implementation.

Result:
1. Ready-made standards taking into account the characteristics of your company and product based on phrase templates and examples of MMKTs
2. Standards implementation plan
3. Training of sellers according to the developed Standards
4. Adjusted system of motivation for sellers, taking into account control points for the implementation of Standards

WHO WILL TEACH THE COURSE

Sergey Alexandrovich Alexandrov

Founder of the International Furniture Personnel Center

Author of four best-selling books for furniture makers:
. “Secrets of sales in the furniture market. 5 steps to build sales in wholesale and retail"
“18 main issues that have worried the furniture business over the past 10 years”
“Preparing on-line sales stars. Just about learning to sell furniture"
“Instructions on how to become a furniture sales ace”

Natalia Valentinovna Vodianova

Business trainer, coach

Work experience in personnel training – more than 10 years, of which 5 years in the furniture industry.

Over the past 5 years, she has worked as a business coach in the federal retail chain of Angstrem Company, training, developing and assessing personnel. My students are PCs, managers, directors both in Russia and neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Minsk, Ukraine).

Conducted more than 300 trainings and webinars. Trained more than 5,000 personnel.

She won the all-Russian competition for training Sberbank personnel. About 1,000 people were trained in 2.5 months.

HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE COURSE

The course is paid. The cost of participation is affordable even for the smallest furniture company.

Participation options - choose the one that suits you!

Companies that successfully complete the course and complete all practical tasks receive a personalized Certificate from the International Furniture Personnel Center.

JUST LOOK Course only	WORK Course + ready-made standard to choose from (kitchens, cabinets, upholstered furniture)	WORK Course + ready-made standard to choose from (kitchens, cabinets, upholstered furniture) + face-to-face sales training in your company to implement the developed standards)
9,900 rub.	RUB 33,500 19,000 rub.	RUB 103,500 77,000 rub.
	Benefit 14,500 rub.	Benefit 27,500 rub.
No homework checking Answers to your questions	participation in 6 interactive webinars Access to recordings of past webinars during the course Answers to your questions	participation in 6 interactive webinars Access to recordings of past webinars during the course Ready-made standard to choose from: kitchens, upholstered or cabinet furniture You can view a demo version of one of the standards Homework check: individual feedback from the curator Answers to your questions In-person sales training in your company to implement the developed Standards (travel expenses are paid separately)
	Book your place in 1 click! Click on the PAY button and choose a convenient payment method. All payment systems, including bank transfer.

Introduction

Conclusion

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

Retail trade is one of the most important areas of providing services to the population. She mediates the implementation of a market agreement between product supply and consumer demand. Being a source of funds, trade thereby forms the basis for the financial stability of the state.

During the period of market transformations, it has undergone fundamental changes.

In retail trade, like in no other sector of the economic system, a rich competitive environment has formed. Entrepreneurial and investment activity in this area is the highest.

The modern goods market is characterized by relatively high saturation; there is virtually no shortage of goods. The bureaucratic system of distribution of goods has been completely replaced by relations of free purchase and sale.

The dynamism of the volumes and structure of sales of goods and services is gradually becoming more and more stable.

At retail trade enterprises, the process of circulation of funds invested in industrial consumer goods is completed, the commodity form of value is transformed into monetary value, and an economic basis is created for the resumption of production of goods. There are constant quantitative and qualitative changes caused by the use of advanced technology, improvement of technology and equipment, and management methods that ensure increased efficiency of trading enterprises and improved trading culture.

The transition to a market economy and the emergence of a wide variety of organizational and legal forms of enterprises have led to the need for new approaches to the organization and technology of trade processes, to the widespread development of private initiative and entrepreneurship. All this places new demands on the training of specialists whose professional activities are carried out in the field of commodity circulation.

With the rise in living standards and the saturation of the market with goods, the needs of the buyer change. First of all, the need for the product itself is replaced by the need for belonging to a certain group, for recognition of status, for good treatment (everyone wants to enjoy the purchasing process). Satisfying these needs is one of the intangible factors of loyalty. Over time, the retail chain is forced to offer not only a wide range at good prices, but also a good attitude towards its customers and be emotionally attractive to its customers. This issue is especially acute, oddly enough, in popular stores where there is a large flow of customers. Seller's position: "There are many of you, I am alone!" - a classic for many successful stores. And before a caring attitude towards the client becomes the norm for sales personnel, a lot of work will have to be done with it.

Retail Service Standards

In the competition between retail chains, those who can offer customers something unique and valuable win. Quality service is a real competitive advantage. Firstly, because it allows you to retain existing customers. Secondly, because it is difficult to copy by competitors.

If the level of service in two or three stores can still be controlled without relying on system management, then a network of 5 or more stores cannot be managed situationally. So, the time has come to optimize and standardize all business processes, including the customer service process.

The standardization process is necessary to ensure that all sales personnel in all stores of the retail chain serve customers equally well. Based on the behavior of the best sellers and knowledge of consumer psychology, service standards are developed.

The technology for developing and implementing standards is shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 1 - Technology for the development and implementation of standards

1) company policy regarding customer service appearance of the seller

2) the behavior of the seller on the sales floor

3) description of the customer service process

4) clear rules for interaction with the client at each stage of the service process

5) rules of behavior in conflict and non-standard situations.

But the secret of success is not only in how customer-oriented service standards are, but in how they are implemented and maintained.

The first step: the implementation of standards must include training. Employees should practice and get a feel for how the standards work. Only after training can you begin implementation and begin assessing the compliance of employee behavior with approved standards.

Second step: if a company seriously intends to implement standards into practice, it must assign someone responsible for monitoring their implementation. For the first 3 - 4 months, this control can be total and obvious (there is an inspector with a checklist behind you), and later it can be selective and hidden (mystery buyer, surprise check, etc.). Assessing compliance with service standards can also be taken into account when assessing personnel. This allows you to select and retain the most successful salespeople and raise their status through career growth.

Third step: the implementation of standards must be supported by a motivation system. Only in this case, the standards will not remain on paper. The more transparent the connection between the implementation of standards and the bonus of sales personnel, or the assessment of their qualifications, the faster successful models of behavior take root.

It is noteworthy that in the future, even ardent opponents of the standards among employees note the positive aspects of their implementation - it becomes easier to work with clients.

It is important to understand that standards must be analyzed and adjusted over time (but not more than once a year) in order to comply with the changes that have occurred, and not remain anachronistic.

And in conclusion, we list the main effects of the introduction of service standards:

1) growth in sales volumes

2) increase in the number of regular customers

3) reduction of conflict situations

4) growth of the professional level of sales personnel

5) formation of a recognizable and positive image of the retail chain brand

conclusion

In conclusion I would like to say. Stores need standards for sales personnel. It is like a beacon for beginners, which shows them standard situations, as well as what and how to do and what to say in them. Unfortunately, this also has a minus when the service process becomes too standard, and therefore predictable, uninteresting and even boorish, according to some customers. Why? The answer is simple, we are all people, not robots, with our whole range of emotional experiences and moods, so we want to be approached individually depending on:

Our mood;

The one who came with us;

What product do we choose;

Are we in a hurry or do we have time to look.

Strict implementation of standards is only possible with strict control over the actions of sales personnel, which is quite rare, so smart salespeople feel what the client needs and approach outside the box. Hence the answer to how to write these requirements: simply observe those consultants who suit you in terms of the average check and total sales volume, as well as the quality of customer service and simply describe how they do it. These will be correctly developed customer service standards.

There is some rule regarding the detailed compliance of the seller with the prescribed standards of communication with clients. The higher the cost of the product, the less strictly the standards should be prescribed.

Degree of "standard" service

Mass market - high;

Bridge - medium;

Premium or luxury - low.

For example, if we take the Luxury class product group, then an individual approach to the client is most important there, because these customers are more demanding and service-sensitive. Plus, the policy of many expensive brands speaks of a special aura of their products, which the sales consultant must be able to create when servicing the buyer. But this cannot be written down in the standards. Moreover, in some boutiques the service standards say: “Be prepared to break standards for the sake of customer satisfaction!

A positive result in the form of service standards accepted for implementation is the result of the accumulated experience of the company’s employees, the political will of management and the expertise of the involved group of professionals.

How does the work of preparing service standards begin? At the first stage, the management of the network or enterprise is interviewed to understand what they want to get as a result of implementing service standards in their organization. Then those “bright minds” from among the staff are interviewed. The next important stage after clarifying positions is finding a balance so that the interests of both parties are balanced, and all this is adequate to the expectations of clients. Once the standards are written down on paper, it is time for training or workshops. There may be different forms, but, in essence, these are some kind of group actions with the goal, firstly, of overcoming the natural resistance of employees to innovations, and, secondly, of adapting their behavior to these standards. As you know, people work best when they understand why they are doing it. Therefore, one of the main results of the training should be people’s understanding of the tasks assigned to them and their involvement in the ranks of supporters of the decisions made.

bibliography

Sysoeva S.V. Retail store standard. Development of instructions and regulations. Peter "Peter Press" 2nd ed., 2008.

Goals and principles of strategy, systematic approach to product quality management. Integrated systems, legal framework, control and regulation, management efficiency, the principle of involvement of the organization's personnel in the quality assurance process.

To make a person overpay for a brand, they create an appropriate atmosphere. The environment says much more about the lifestyle than the product itself - this is the thesis of professional merchandisers.

Characteristics of trade and financial activities of Trade House "Vityaz". Analysis of the organization of the trade and technological process: delivery and acceptance of goods, storage and preparation for sale. Recommendations for improving the trade and technological process.

Standardization is a tool for improving quality. Its essence, tasks and main elements. History of the development of standardization in Russia, the first GOSTs. Activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Application of standardization in the service sector.

General provisions for certification in Japan. Interaction of the Long-Term Planning Committee with the European standardization organizations SEN and SENELEC. Analysis of non-tariff trade policy means of regulating restrictions on the import of goods into Japan.

Description of the integrated system of global standards. Trade applications of barcoding, e-commerce, global data synchronization and electronic product code for identifying and communicating information about products and services.

Approaches to creating sales training. Classification of basic concepts for constructing sales training programs according to T.A. Soltitskaya. Seller-oriented sales process training. Resistance groups according to R.A. Schnappauf. Purpose and structure of the training.

The connection between the growth of quality and competitiveness of goods and environmental certification. The impact of Ukraine's entry into the COT on the competitiveness of products. General requirements regarding the system of standards and conformity assessment for COT member countries.

The essence and specificity of the theory of customer service. Basic rules of seller behavior. General characteristics of the trading enterprise Avtozapchasti LLC, analysis of ways to provide technological services to its customers and recommendations for its improvement.

Analysis of a system of total quality control, focused on the consumer of products and on the massive and conscious involvement of managers and employees of the manufacturer in the work to improve the quality of manufactured products. Documentation of quality systems.

Development of the restaurant business in Russia. Restaurant chain standards. Service standards. Features of the organization of network operation. Types of business network structure. Organization of a restaurant business in Moscow. Sbarro network. Other restaurants in Russia.

Concept, meaning and factors for ensuring product quality. Methods for assessing quality indicators. Continuous training process (job-oriented) and increased staff motivation. Product quality management service at the enterprise.

Observation of the work of counter and hall sellers, cashiers in the Ekonta store, which was carried out in accordance with developed customer service standards. Characteristics of the pros and cons in the interaction of cashiers and salespeople with customers.

Competitiveness of the company in times of crisis. The problem of inconsistency in the actions of departments and the lack of a common vision of the company’s goals. Standardization of personnel work. Cost optimization, assortment management, flexible pricing policy.

Fundamental concepts for quality management: management, assurance, improvement, traceability and quality identification. Stages of the product life cycle. The quality loop and its stages. Procurement and production activities. Quality star system.

Studying the essence of certification of quality systems operating at enterprises in various industries and sectors of the economy, which has become an element of the culture of production and economic activity and a serious factor in competitiveness.

Definition, goals and objectives of merchandising. History of merchandising. The current stage of development of merchandising. Merchandising practice in Russia in our time. Stimulating the desire of consumers to choose and buy the promoted product.

The attractiveness of stores, the importance of the latest technologies in increasing it. Organizations monitoring compliance with trade rules. Requirements for personnel directly involved in commercial service to citizens in the store.

Indicators of quality of customer service. Determining the fundamental reasons for customer dissatisfaction in unclear positioning of retailers. The use of "secret agent" services to assess the service level of retail enterprises.

From this article you will learn:

• Why are customer service standards being implemented in the company?
• What are the benefits of using customer service standards?
• How customer service standards are developed in a company
• How to effectively implement service standards
• What are the typical mistakes that occur when developing and implementing customer service standards?

Almost every company has sales managers on staff. And beginning entrepreneurs often face this situation: a manager quits, and his clients “leave” with him. As a rule, this causes serious financial damage to the company, since experienced, professional managers acquire “their” clients. However, even the loss of one or two customers is still unpleasant. As a rule, the loss of clients due to the departure of a manager can be explained simply - your employee built relationships with the customer on personal sympathies, and not on loyalty to the company as a whole. To avoid this, it is necessary to develop customer service standards for the company.

What are customer service standards

Customer service standards are an internal corporate set of rules governing the company’s customer service activities, an algorithm for communicating with customers, and general standards for responding to non-standard situations. The customer service standard is an integral part of the company’s corporate standard of operation.
How to properly clarify customer objections. Find out in the training program
Features of Customer Service Standards

1. Arrange. The client does not encounter problems, does not see them, which means he is confident that all employees, without exception, are professionals who know their job.
2. Control. It is difficult to evaluate and monitor the work of each manager if there are no clear evaluation criteria. At the same time, fulfillment of the sales plan cannot be the only evaluation parameter; it is necessary to know whether the manager adheres to the customer service standards accepted in this company.
3. Adapt. Among other things, having customer service standards simplifies the procedure

Client service standards are effective if the client does not see the difference between the work of two (or more) managers, but sees only “branded” service, always the same, regardless of any external factors and circumstances. The standard of customer service, which has been tested in practice, supported by experience (perhaps even someone else’s), created on the basis of analytical research and recognized methods, can be called “golden”. It allows you to increase profits, improve the company's image, and attract new customers.

The use of standards is necessary in the following cases:

• with increasing competition;
• with an increase in the number of complaints from clients about the work of the management service;
• when the number of “problem” cases increases when working with clients or after clients make a purchase;
• with an increase in the number of “lost” clients due to the fault of the sales department;
• in the absence of a structured and logical technology for working with clients;
• in the absence of a system for assessing the work of managers, as well as monitoring the quality of work with clients.

For what purpose are customer service standards introduced in the company?

A superficial glance allows you to see only the tip of the iceberg - convenience for the client. For example, a person going on a business trip to another city or country should know the main thing - no matter where he ends up, the company will serve him equally well, the process will be familiar to him and will not cause any difficulties. All actions of both the client and the company are predictable. He knows how the company will behave with him, and the organization, in turn, is ready for any of his questions, requests and wishes. However, behind this lies the main goal of the company - increasing customer loyalty, and, as a result, increasing economic indicators.
The goals of implementing standards are the following.

• For experienced employees: minimize the number of erroneous and unnecessary actions. The result of this will be saving time for each employee (no errors - no need to waste time correcting them). And, as a result, increased productivity.
• For new employees: customer service standards allow you to convey the necessary knowledge in the most concise form and in a short time.
• For the company: eliminating dependence on old-timers. Not all employees who have worked in the company for many years (or even since its founding) are able to avoid succumbing to the so-called star fever. Having knowledge and experience, a person loses the ability to objectively evaluate his work; it begins to seem to him that he is the best manager in the company. This can end quite disastrously - if fired, such an employee will take away the base and turn clients against the company. Customer service standards are needed so that all employees can be assessed on a single scale, based on the actual benefits they bring to the company, as well as the employee’s attitude towards the company.
• For the company: uniformity of control over the activities of managers. The standards are unambiguous, exclude ambiguous interpretations, and therefore cannot cause disputes about the rightness of the employee or employer.
• For managers: the standards of unified customer service are the same for all managers, and this makes the remuneration of each manager absolutely transparent and intelligible. Realizing that there will be no double interpretations, the manager does not have to fear that he will be paid less than expected - all his mistakes and achievements are immediately visible and understandable.

Application of service standards allows:

• develop a company style in communicating with clients;
• increase the effectiveness of managers’ work with new clients;
• bring the quality of communication with clients to a higher level;
• create a positive opinion about the company in the client so that he recommends it to friends, thus increasing the number of potential and then actual customers;
• minimize conflicts between the manager and the customer;
• develop technology for training beginners;
• transfer the assessment of a manager’s work from subjective to objective, transparent and understandable to everyone;
• establish a procedure for monitoring the work of personnel;
• increase managers' motivation to work.

As a result, all of the above will lead to an increase in the customer base and company income.

Why is it beneficial to use customer service standards in a company?

A manager in a company is always under double control - from management and from clients. Customer service standards give employees confidence that their actions will be analyzed and assessed objectively. However, the manager understands that there is a clear algorithm for assessing his work, which means that excuses and searching for arguments in his favor are useless - if he really made a mistake, it will be identified and assessed accordingly. The “debriefing” will be just as fair for the rest of the employees - both punishment and rewards will be fair. Thus, the manager strives to perform better in order to receive appropriate compensation.

Benefits of using service standards

• Accumulation of experience: the entire base is concentrated in the company, and not in the hands of “old-time” managers. Thus, the departure of one or more “old” employees does not become a “natural disaster” for the company.
• Motivation, analysis and control: customer service standards allow you to develop a transparent scheme for motivating managers, based on a clear, almost mathematical analysis of their work. The sales process is optimized.
• Setting goals. With the help of standards, a company is able to set clear, reasonable plans. This allows you to maintain a friendly and stable atmosphere in the team, and the absence of “unclear” tasks increases the loyalty of managers to the company.
• Customer service standards are a fairly mobile system that allows you to immediately detect errors in working with customers and promptly eliminate them. In addition, at any stage of working with a client, the head of the sales department can intervene in the process, noticing an error in the manager’s work, and even work proactively - to prevent the mistake that the manager is making.
• A quick and easy start for beginners. Customer service standards are essentially a knowledge base, collected, analyzed and organized. Such information is easily transmitted and absorbed by newcomers, which means that the newcomer quickly gets to work and begins to make a profit. In addition, a newcomer will not ruin the relationship with the client with awkward actions, since he already knows what to do in any conflict or problematic situations.
• Customer trust. Customer service standards allow the latter to feel confident in the company - no matter where the customer is, he always easily recognizes “his” company by brand features and can be absolutely sure that in a small town he will be served with the same quality as in a city with a million population, because that everyone in the company knows their job well. This means that you can trust such a company.

What criteria should customer service standards meet?

• Specificity. Because customer service standards are created to monitor the performance of a specific group of people, they must be simple and understandable to every member of that group, regardless of their age, work experience, education and other factors. There should be no vague, unclear wording that allows for different interpretations. So, if a standard for the illumination of a room is being created, it is not enough to write that it “should be light at any time of the day with the help of lighting fixtures.” This immediately gives rise to a number of questions and misunderstandings - what does “light” mean? Which lighting fixtures can be used at different times of the day? Is it considered a violation to use all appliances in clear weather, and if so, will the person responsible for the premises be punished? Therefore, when drawing up a lighting standard, it is always clearly indicated which lighting devices should operate at what time of day and in what weather.
• Measurability. The customer service standard cannot contain such ratings as “fast”, “slow”, “prompt”, etc. For example, a manager should not answer an incoming call “quickly” - this is a loose concept. It would be correct to indicate that the manager must answer an incoming call within 7 seconds.
• The reality of performance. Before you implement customer service standards, make sure you have the necessary resources to enforce them. Make sure that employees are provided with the necessary tools for their work. If at any point an employee discovers mutually exclusive or controversial concepts and definitions, immediately respond and correct the deficiency.
• Transparency for employees. Since customer service standards are created to improve the performance of the company as a whole, it is necessary to communicate this information to every manager. It’s easiest to explain this to newcomers, since when they come to the organization, they immediately accept the “conditions of the game.” The most difficult thing is with the introduction of standards for the “old-timers” - having become accustomed to working according to their own system, they often do not recognize any innovations. Explain how what is happening will affect customer loyalty, what problems may arise if the standard is not met (not by the manager, but primarily by the client).
• Relevance. Customer service standards must correlate with the objectives of the company as a whole, both today and in the future. Therefore, if necessary, they need to be promptly changed, supplemented, and improved. But a balanced approach is necessary - too frequent changes create an imbalance in the team, and staff may get the impression that “the bosses themselves don’t know what they want.”
• Providing employees with autonomy within the limits of their authority. No matter how much we would like to, no standard can provide for absolutely all the nuances of working with clients. Therefore, employees should still have opportunities for creativity and personal contact with the customer. Allow for some variability - if a manager has been working with a client for a long time, he is able to make the right decision from those proposed in accordance with his needs and character.
• Complexity. All company activities should be standardized as much as possible. This applies to all departments, not just managers themselves. For example, if a company is engaged in connecting the Internet, then in addition to the specialist offering the service, a dispatcher, performing technicians, etc. are involved in filling out and completing the application. Service standards need to be created for all employees involved in the process.
• Economic expediency. Compliance with standards should not be unprofitable for the company.
• Recommended criterion: adherence to a single structure of standards for all positions.

How customer service standards are developed in a company

The process begins with the appointment of a working group and a direct project manager. The most competent are HR and marketing specialists; the working group should also include sales department employees as the most “immersed” in the situation. The team must have a representative from among the “ordinary” managers - with his help, all the nuances of the sales team’s work can be taken into account as much as possible. Next, we proceed according to plan.

1. The project manager must be given the authority to collect information and schedule group meetings.
2. An action plan to develop customer service standards is drawn up and discussed with the group. Responsible persons for each work area and work schedule are appointed.
3. There is a step-by-step discussion of the work. All intermediate results are recorded and analyzed.
4. The final version of the project is drawn up and submitted to all company employees for review. At this stage, management makes corrections and suggestions to the plan, and it is important to consider all wishes as tactfully as possible and respecting the interests of all employees. Often at this stage, a top manager makes a mistake, which can subsequently negate all efforts: as they say, “presses with authority.” It is better to act democratically - bring proposals and additions to the attention of all members of the working group, give time to think and conduct a secret vote. The trust that the manager will place at this stage will additionally stimulate employees and increase their loyalty to the company. In addition, managers will implement the standards, and their opinion must be listened to.
5. After all additions and suggestions have been made, the finished standard of customer service is sent to the general director (or another person in charge of general management of the company). At this stage, the manager can make adjustments, and whether or not to accept them will be determined by a secret vote, in which this time the heads of structural divisions will participate.

What are the stages of developing customer service standards?

Stage 1. We determine the indicator by which the company is ahead of its competitors. It will be the cornerstone in developing customer service standards.
There are three main advantages.

1. Price-quality ratio"

We choose if the company sells a product with an optimal set of qualities at a minimum cost. Our consumer is a thrifty person who values ​​practicality above all else in a product or service. When developing service standards, special emphasis is placed on everything that helps reduce the cost of a product (service). It is important to emphasize the ease of service, the speed of receiving the product (service), its durability or length of time.

1. "Best in the line of similar"

We use it if the product (service) has one or more unique qualities, parameters, properties not offered by competitors. Our consumer prefers reliability, but prestige and the opportunity to show individuality are also important to him.
In this case, the customer service strategy is largely “tied” to the manager - he must thoroughly know the properties of “his” product, as well as analogues, in order to conduct a comparative analysis for the client. Also, the specialist must “know the client by sight” - who is the person who might need your product? In addition, it is important that the manager does not overdo it in an effort to sell the best, taking advantage of the fact that the buyer does not pay too much attention to price.

1. "Close to consumer"

Provides an individual approach to each client. Our customer appreciates attention and sincerity. He will pay tribute to the new products that the company will offer, anticipating his requests and needs, but will not waste money, trying to acquire the newest and most prestigious.
The leading role in this strategy is played by the seller of the product (service). He must be a psychologist, be able to hold a conversation with the customer on any topic, and unobtrusively collect information about him necessary to sell the product.
Stage 2. Organizational structure, selection of positions.
Having decided on a competitive advantage, we select employees for whom customer service standards will be developed. Please note the following.

• First of all, it is necessary to determine customer service standards for “technical” specialists and lower-level employees. These are those employees who repeat the same actions every day when working with clients (for example, “cold calling”). Creating customer service standards for such employees is relatively simple, as is implementing a system of standards. As a rule, the work of such employees has no or almost no creative component and no decision-making function.
• It is almost impossible to create customer service standards for management employees, starting with the head of the department. You can only create a common standard for the entire management, which will include the technical aspects of the work, the principles of maintaining and submitting reports.

Stage 3. After choosing the type of advantage, formulate a model of “ideal service”.
If your company had a code of conduct, a mission statement, and a set of values ​​before introducing customer service standards, use that information.
There should be two models: the ideal organization as a whole and the ideal work of specific employees in their positions.
For the first model, we answer a number of questions:

• What should our company be like in the eyes of customers?
• How should relationships be built between company employees?
• How should the relationship be built between management and performers?

Questions for the second model:

• What should a company employee look like in front of a client? (appearance and behavior pattern)
• What is the relationship between the client and the individual employee, their nature.
• What situations are possible when working with a client?
• At what stage does a particular employee begin communicating with the client (for example, at the beginning of negotiations or at the final stage).
• Non-standard situations that arise when communicating with a client.
• Responsibilities for maintaining the premises and tools for each position (office, office equipment).
• A package of documents for each position.

When developing models, it is necessary not only to take into account the opinions of all involved employees of the company and its management, but also to involve customers in the process, especially for the formation of the first model. By the way, some companies also take into account the models of competitors, for which purpose they specifically communicate with them under the guise of clients. Of course, an ordinary customer will not be allowed into the internal “kitchen”, but in this way it is still possible to identify annoying or, on the contrary, details and innovations that are conducive to communication.
Stage 4. Create common customer service standards for all employees.
At this stage, you need to create a certain subculture, unique to your organization, but based on the principles of business etiquette, working with objections and claims, and corporate ethics.
Stage 5. Create unique customer service standards for each specific position involved in the process of working with a client.
At this stage, it is necessary to literally break down the entire production process. The following division can be used as a template.

1. External customer service standards.

These are the standards that the client sees: the appearance, shape, color of the room, equipment, technology in which the work is carried out, as well as the actual communication procedure.

1. Internal customer service standards.

This group includes standards that the client does not see, although he can see the result of their implementation (for example, if we are talking about cleaning premises for work - a store, office, bank branch). This group also includes standards for document preparation.

1. Technological standards (employee work regulations).

Step-by-step instructions: how to effectively implement customer service standards

In order for the implementation of customer service standards to go smoothly, this must be done at the stage of company formation. Then the staff will take it for granted. However, many businesses and organizations were formed long before the introduction of customer service standards became the norm in Russia. Such companies rarely manage without open and hidden resistance from employees to innovations introduced by management. Let's talk about how to implement customer service standards as efficiently as possible and minimize employee resistance.

Step 1. Bringing standards to staff

Remember: for corporate rules to work, all employees need to accept them, and not just “accept” under pressure from management. And for acceptance, understanding is necessary - it is important to convey to every employee, from the general director to the visiting technician, why it is necessary to comply with customer service standards. It may be necessary to resort to unpopular measures to influence those who are particularly stubborn. But it is important not to go too far, but to really understand what you are dealing with: is it a stubborn reluctance to leave the comfort zone and conservatism, or do employees really have reasons not to accept the customer service standards in the form in which you offer them?

Step 2. Hold a staff meeting

It is necessary to hold a general meeting of employees and explain the prospects. Don't talk about what penalties are facing an employee who doesn't want to work according to the new rules. Tell us about the company's prospects, about the positive consequences, explain that ignoring the changes will have a negative impact on the work of the enterprise as a whole, and therefore on each of its employees. Be sure to print out the standards for each employee who will work on them, and record the results of the general meeting and distribute them to employees for signature.

Step 3. Establish a “transition period”

Don't try to introduce customer service standards overnight. In this case, shock therapy is not the best solution. Set a period during which employees will have to learn the new rules, conduct several trainings. Don’t immediately punish those who make mistakes—explain and correct them. But the boundaries of the “transition period” must be clearly defined and communicated to each employee.

Step 4. Check that employees understand the information And

After the transition period, test employees on the new customer service standards. Do not rush to punish those who showed the worst results, give them a couple of days to prepare, and then conduct a “re-exam”. By this point, employees must understand that they will have to work according to new rules. The excuses “I didn’t understand”, “This needs to be done differently” are no longer accepted - clarifications could be obtained during the transition period, and proposals were accepted at the preparation stage and also during the transition period.

Step 5. We develop collection measures

Be prepared for the fact that you will have to punish particularly stubborn employees. In this case, neither their past merits nor other subjective reasons should stop you. Think over the system of punishments in advance - these could be fines, reprimands, deprivation of bonuses, bonuses, benefits, etc. You may even have to part with several employees. And the separation will be unpleasant, given that in this case the team will most likely be on their side (“They came up with nonsense, and even fired a well-deserved employee because of it!”). But even the hottest heads tend to cool down if they see that you are serious.

Step 6. We demand compliance with standards

Demand service standards from all parts of your value chain. And monitor all participants in the process equally seriously. For example, if you require a manager to increase the number of home Internet sales, then you must be sure that the technical service that works directly at the connection point can cope with the increased volume of work. All customer service standard requirements must be physically feasible.

Step 7. Monitor compliance with standards

At first, while employees are not yet sufficiently familiar with the new requirements, there may be breakdowns and attempts to “quietly” switch to the “old” scheme that is familiar to them. Control it yourself, demand the same from department heads, appoint responsible people directly from among the performers so that they report to you on compliance with customer service standards. These are internal control measures. Combine them with external control methods (for example, use the “mystery shopping” service).

Step 8: Standards Analysis

You don’t need control for the sake of control, analyze the results obtained and be sure to act on their basis - encourage, fine, provide additional training. It may be advisable to change something in the customer service standards, or maybe you did not take something into account at the preparation stage and the standards need additions.