Sales Culture Challenge

Gallup projects that organizations lose as much as 20 percent of their productivity due to ineffective internal service. It does not take much imagination to see how Gallup could arrive at this estimation. At many organizations, ineffective communication between departments leads to duplication of work and incorrect work.

In credit unions, this results in mistakes that affect members, negatively impacting member trust and potential sales.

Over the years I have noticed that employees tend to identify more with their department than the overall mission of the credit union. The CU’s mission may be “to improve the financial well-being of our members and the communities we serve.” However, in many cases employees want to protect their department from being “taken advantage of,” or being burdened by questions/mistakes made by other departments who they believe are less knowledgeable.

This conclusion leads to departmental arrogance, which leads to the correct information being given in a disrespectful manner. Ultimately, rather than being disrespected, employees choose to find other, less reliable sources for their information. They learn to avoid unhelpful colleagues.

Make no mistake, the service we provide members will never be better than the service we provide each other. I believe this is an immutable law of service. Almost all the information a front-line employee will ever share with an external member comes from a support employee. To the degree that the information is accurate, timely, AND respectfully provided, will be the same degree to which service will be delivered to an external member.

Measure for Results

However, many CUs, while being committed to measuring external service, blanch when the idea of measuring internal service is mentioned. “We don’t want a witch hunt,” they say.

Let’s develop a corollary, shall we? A member drives up to the drive-through window and presents a check for deposit that is not endorsed. The teller responds, “This is the third time you have come to my drive-through window with something not completed properly for your deposit. Do you see that sign on that brick wall that says ‘have all checks endorsed and no more than three transactions’? This time you need to come inside and make this deposit. You know you’re supposed to have these checks endorsed and if I keep allowing you to come to this window with checks that aren’t endorsed you’re not going to learn your lesson. So bring it around to the front and make that deposit in the lobby.”

If someone had told you this happened with one of your tellers you would likely fire them on the spot.

But what do I hear from CU managers whose support employees refused to answer phone calls, return voice mails and reply to emails for those they deemed repeat offenders? “They have a lot to do. And they get tired of answering the same questions over and over. People should know what to do.”

While these statements may be true, ineffective treatment of internal staff members does not improve the situation. These reactions do not resolve a lack of knowledge nor do they make employees responsible.

These attitudes will result in communication and culture breakdowns and will ultimately impact your external members.

360 Degrees of Great Service

The solution is to first measure internal service (employee surveys are a great way to start). Next, set up a system to reward and recognize outstanding internal service. Third, provide coaching to individuals and departments to improve poor internal service. Finally, hold the entire staff, from the front line to the C-suite, accountable for providing the same level of service to colleagues as you expect for members.

By turning your focus inside, you will ensure that your CU has a 360 degree commitment to service, which will have a decidedly positive impact on the external service received by your members.

Michael Neill, CSE, is president of Michael Neill & Associates, Fayetteville, Ga.