Shanu Singh Guliani

Criticizing with Tact
December 21, 2006

The Scenario… Lately you’ve heard many complaints from customers regarding the store not opening on time and customers having to wait impatiently to be helped because there isn’t enough staff on hand. You decide to be in the store before your employees show up at 9am. You end-up finding out your “star salesperson” tends to arrive approximately 20-25 minutes late every morning and that is why the doors don’t open in time. You also found out that the days she works the afternoon shift she still comes in 20-25 minutes late. In addition, because of her tardiness, there isn't enough staff to serve customers who are waiting impatiently.

The facts:

• Regardless of what shift you put her on, your “star salesperson” is always running late.
• You’ve criticized her for being late.
• You won’t fire her because you know she’s the one making the big sales and has a developed her own clientele base.
• She’s been working with you for a long time.

The problem…You’ve talked to your star salesperson numerous times about being late and she still does it. She has no excuses for her tardiness and you’ve been hearing complaints from customers so this situation has gotten to a point where something has to be done. How do you call attention to her mistake without criticizing her? How do you get her to come on time?

The solutions… (1) Call attention to her tardiness in a different way. The mornings she sets up the store, show up before her and have breakfast for her. Offer it to her by saying, “Monica, things must be hectic at home so I figured this cup of coffee and bagel would help your morning off to a good start.” By doing this, you’re calling attention to her being late. She is either embarrassed in front of her coworkers because she knows this is an everyday occurrence or she’s caught on and feels appreciative that you’re sensitive to her problems, while recognizing it and giving her the chance to understand the importance of not being late. (2) Call attention in another way by giving her a nice watch. This example will work on staff members who are not as sensitive and can take a joke while understanding the seriousness of the situation. “Monica, it seems to me your watch doesn’t keep accurate time so I bought you a new one. I hope you enjoy it!”

A story…The following example is from the book How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie: Charles Schwab was passing through one of his steel mills when he came across some of his employees smoking. Right above their heads was a huge sign reading “NO SMOKING.” He didn’t point at the sign and say “Can’t you read?” Instead, Mr. Schwab walked over to the men, handed each one a cigar and said, “I’ll appreciate it, boys, if you would smoke these outside.” They knew that he knew that they had broken a rule—and they admired him because he said nothing, gave them a little present, and made them feel important.

What Would You Do?

Previous Cases:
December 1
The Jewelry Store That Hands Their Customers Rap!

• The customer has a copy of Rapaport and walks into your store to compare prices.
• What do you do when your price is higher than your competitor?

December 8
Who Gets the Commission?

• Your senior sales person butts into other staff members sales.
• What do you do to make peace and who gets the commission?

December 14
How Do I Keep My Customers Off Their Cell Phones While in the Store?

• You’re in an intense sales presentation and your customer’s phone rings. By the end of their call, they’ve become distracted and end up leaving.
• What do you do the get them to keep off their phones?

Please add your knowledge of how you would handle the situation or email me (shanu@gulianis.com) with your own situation whether it’s about your staff, boss, another store, or a co-worker.

Posted by Shanu Singh Guliani on December 21, 2006 | Comments (0)