This Phrase Will Kill Your Brand

I love Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

The fun process of selecting your base flavor, sprinkling on toppings, swizzling warm caramel sauce as the finishing touch.

During one of my recent visits to this “yogurt heaven” I noticed a grandmother trying to dispense warm Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup onto her grandson’s heaping bowl of decorated yogurt.

The top seemed to be falling off the dispenser and the pump wasn’t working at all.

She proceeded to call over a Menchie’s employee for help.

“This never works. I’m here all the time and this machine never works!”

“I’m sorry. I just work here,” replied the employee.

I cringed, overhearing the exchange while waiting to pay for my yogurt.

First — it’s obvious to me this particular employee wasn’t properly trained.

Sure — maybe you can’t fix the dispenser right then and there, but you can take action to reassure a customer they will not experience the same problem next time they step into your store.

Of course — this employee was not a franchise owner, but where is her pride in a job well done?

Another conclusion: this employee has no vested interest in the growth and success of the company. She doesn’t understand that she is a representation of the brand to that customer.

No incentive in place. No “keep this job and it’ll pay down your college debt faster than living without a job.” No moving up from task asker to task master.

This employee felt powerless to change the situation, so she didn’t even try.

As a leader, I want my team empowered to fix any situation, ensuring a client goes from upset back to happy.

As a leader, I want my team empowered to ask questions so they can get the answers they need.

Only then can your company truly grow.