Every once in a while, I really enjoy indulging in a hamburger with all the fixings at a restaurant near my home. On the last visit, I was very impressed by the customer service skills of my waiter, Max, and the rest of the staff that were all between the ages of 17 and 25. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked Max if I could interview him. I assumed that his motivation, good manners and values were a direct result of good parenting skills.
During the interview, Max told me about the incentive program his manager developed that turned doing the job into a game, and a competitive game at that. Employees can get points for doing a good job as well as taking initiative on predetermined goals. The manager is the only one giving points and must witness the employee performing the task. Sweeping the floor when the restaurant is slow garners two points. A personal Yelp review is worth three points and an extra $25. If customers compliment you to the manager, that is worth 3 points. There are also extra points at the end of the month based on manager discretion (a flaw in the too-subjective category).
The manager also engages “mystery shoppers.” If the server suggests all the things the mystery shopper is looking for (a lot of upselling), that is worth 10 points. At the end of the month, the first-prize winner receives $100 while the second and third place winners receive $25 gas cards. These are good prizes and one of the reasons why the game is so successful.
Often incentive programs don’t really motivate employees because the prize, such as lunch with the manager, isn’t what people really want. I felt the game was flawed in many ways as it was subjective, had no peer-to-peer opportunities, and was based primarily on upselling.
Even though the prizes were good and the idea solid, I still had my concerns and asked Max more specifically about them.
Q: Do employees harass customers to write reviews on Yelp and compliment them to their manager?
A: Max assured me that wasn’t the case. (Interesting…I recall doing something similar in the hotel biz, handing out comment cards and asking guests to fill them out).
Q: How do employees who are competitive in nature compete with each other?
A: He told me it was friendly competition. When one person wins one month, the others are determined to beat them the next month, so they go out and give unparalleled service.
Q: How do employees who are not competitive in nature respond to the “game?”
A: Max said 6 out of the 15 employees are “really into it,” which means 6 people are giving their all and doing a better job than they would be doing without the game.
I wish we didn’t have to play games or offer incentives to do a good job, but the reality is they can make a difference. Incentive programs alone are not enough, which is why I have developed my Spirit in Service customer training program. It shows managers and employees how to be inspired from the inside out with best practices like being in touch with your personal sources of emotional gratification, letting go of being right and finding the humor and joy in your everyday activities.
If creating a game can inspire a group of young people at a burger joint, what can you create to keep your team on their toes?
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