An old-timey saying tells us that the devil is in the details. Put another way, we are warned to not get so caught up on the big picture that we neglect the little things. Pay attention. Look for the small concerns before they burgeon into full-blown problems. But the big picture is what management has to focus on, right? Those in leadership are often encouraged to avoid sweating the small stuff so that they can concentrate on the challenges for which their talents are best suited. They should delegate rather than trying to do everything themselves.
Indeed, this very blog has often given this very advice, reminding our readers to trust their employees with the work they are assigned—that’s why you hired them, and that’s why you pay them after all.
It All Matters
And while the details of a business are often delegated to employees, that doesn’t undercut their importance. Getting everything right matters, from top to bottom. As Shep Hyken wonders in a recent article, “What are the unintended signals you’re sending to your customers because of missed details, big and small?” This is critical because, as he says, “Don’t let negative signals that are easily in your control taint the customer’s experience.”
Hyken gives us a great (and all-too-common) scenario to consider: “If I go to the restroom and it is filthy and unkempt, I have to wonder about the cleanliness of the kitchen. If whoever is running the restaurant is not paying attention to something seen and used by many of the guests, how clean is the kitchen, or what other details are they not paying attention to?” If they’re neglecting the stuff I can see, what’s happening with the stuff I can’t see?
Look Within
What are some possible neglected details that could really spoil your own customers’ experiences? Consider it all: how professional your employees dress and carry themselves. How well they understand your products and avoid giving conflicting information. The disrepair of your store’s furniture. The dust accumulation on your fixtures. That flickering fluorescent light. Maybe that hint of mildew smell coming from the carpet. The overflowing trashcan outside the entryway. On and on.
This may be small stuff in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sweat it. And while these are great tasks to delegate to your staff, there is another old-timey saying that we should always remember:
Trust, but verify.
A Customer’s Point of View
You can take a hard look at those details yourself from time to time, but if you want a thorough examination—the viewpoint of a customer rather than a member of the business—you need mystery shopping. Mystery shoppers are regular consumers, the kinds of people who frequent your business every day. They come in, interact with your employees, observe everything from cleanliness to the effectiveness of your merchandising—just like your own customers do even when you don’t realize it—and then they complete a survey with all their observations about those details. Big and small. This feedback is critical for developing the best customer experience possible, and to avoid sending mixed signals to your customers that might betray their confidence in your business.
Don’t let a messy bathroom put them off!
Mystery shopping and leadership training are two of our specialties as The Brandt Group. It’s our job to catch the devil in the details, to sweat the small stuff so that you can create the kind of customer experience, working environment, and product that makes you proud. Ready to get started? Drop us a line and let’s get to work!
