You can’t open a newspaper (yes, they still have those), turn on the TV or access your smartphone/tablet without seeing or reading about someone apologizing for a “miscommunication”. It seems as though the central theme that has been running rampant throughout our nation and the world for the last several weeks revolves around one word – Communication!
Communication, or the lack thereof, has been addressed or mentioned in every meeting I have attended lately. I think that by taking some of the words from the childhood song “Old MacDonald Had A Farm”, and making an acrostic out of the words “EI, EI, OOO”, we can see a way to keep communication in the forefront of our mind.
EI – Everyone Involved. One of the most important aspects of communication is making sure everyone is involved. This not only means employees in different departments but the customer as well. If we can keep everyone involved and updated, if the situation ever turns bad/sour, we stand a better chance of overcoming obstacles.
EI – Everyone Informed. This is the second most important part of the equation. Everyone has to be kept informed with the latest information available. Internally, emails can be one of the quickest ways to get the latest update to everyone. As long as the email is concise and to the point it can also prevent miscommunication.
OOO – Opens Opportunities to Overdeliver. One of my favorite sayings is “Under promise and Over deliver.” If we can take the first two EI’s and execute them effectively, we will have infinite potential to provide the type of service that will exceed our customers expectations.
As I stated in the beginning, Communication with a capital “C” is the key. It’s the key that leads to a company’s booming success or ultimate demise. It takes a group effort to achieve the goals we set in customer service. Everyone has to be involved, from the person that picks up the phone and takes the first call, to the one that keeps our parking lot clean, to the cashier that checks the customer/client out, to the one that wraps the toilets to keep them looking fresh, to the closer that processes the paperwork, to the greeter that invites the customer to come back and to “have a great day”, etc – it’s a coordinated effort by a cast of thousands! (okay, maybe not thousands, or even hundreds, maybe just a few individuals – but it takes a commitment by everyone !)
So go ahead and sing it, “ Old (your company name) had a farm…ei, ei,ooo
My Speedbumps 