Some People Are Perfect for the Job

A recent post in Marketing Profs asks:

"Does your front-line staff embody the image that you want to project to the world?"

I think we could all look in the mirror and ask that question on a daily basis. But let's ask another question first, i.e., "What is the image we want to project to the world?"

I've worked with companies that want to hire to fill a position and, typically after they have suffered through some disastrous decisions, finally agree to let me help them profile the JOB first. I am not surprised when I get the feedback from various people within the company to find marked differences among the perceptions of a job's requirements. The ensuing frank conversation typically leads us to a clearer and more honest description of what the job requires, and then they are more likely to fit the candidate to the position.

But back to the mirror. What are we really telling the world about us on our front line? And are we consistent with it?

There is a brew-pub in my area that I used to patronize on a regular basis. I loved their beer. It was always fresh, and they have some great variety. But they had two major weaknesses in their operation that eventually drove me away.

First was the wait staff. You never knew what you were going to get, and it would just drive you crazy anticipating (sometimes dreading) what you might have to endure to get your order. I learned who the pro's were and always asked to be seated in their section. But even that didn't work because they might not be on the shift or they had just moved on to another job. The inconsistency was unsettling.

The second problem was the inconsistent menu. You might order the same menu item, say a cheeseburger, and one time you would get curly fries, another regular fries, and maybe another time fries more like chips. One time when I was there for Sunday brunch they informed me the cook didn't know how to poach an egg (they had to find a manager to tell him what it was), the English Muffin was replaced with a white cupcake with colored sprinkles, and to make up for the fact that the order took a VERY LONG TIME to fill they piled my plate with four times the normal portions of home-fry potatoes. I have not been back there for several years. It just got too bizarre.

There is another restaurant in the neighborhood (OK, it's a bar) called J. Gilligan's that does not brew but has a good selection and where you always know what you are going to get. Even when there is staff turnover there is still consistency to the way they handle your order. And you know what you are gong to get when you order your "regular."

Likewise with my local coffee house, The Coffee Haus in Arlington. I once patronized a local competitor who followed a similar path as the pub described above. I finally threw up my hands and found this great place right around the corner with great staff, reliable ambiance and free WiFi. I always know what I am going to get. See that smiling face up above? That's the way it always feels.

Thus, I keep coming back.

These people know who they are, get the right people to represent that, and do it consistently.