Start by letting them in on some "company intelligence" about what turns customers off:
1. The waiting game. Long lines or inattentive clerks won't do. Nor will service counters with "Next window, please" placards on all but one station.
2. The zombie. These workers seem to be in a trance or heavily sedated. They don't make eye contact or act with a sense of urgency; they just go through the motions.
3. The antagonist. Customers are not the enemy, but frequently they are made to feel as if they are. When customers sense they are merely a transaction--or, worse, an interruption--they rarely return. Employee rudeness, impatience and judgmental remarks occur far too frequently, and nothing is more damaging to your company image.
4. The bare minimum. When an employee won't go the extra mile to satisfy a customer or seems annoyed by questions or requests, customers vanish, never to be seen again.
5. The know-nothing. Workers who are poorly trained and can't answer questions about your product or service are useless to you and your customers. Few things are more disappointing than when a company representative knows less about the product than the customer.
6. The liar. Lies, dishonesty, snow jobs and broken promises may get an employee off the hook for the moment, but in the long run they lose your company lots of business.
Once employees know what not to do, you need to show them what they should do. The first and most important step is to treat them with respect. If you don't, it will be very hard for employees to believe you will really support them when they start acting empowered.
