Frontline People = Brand Success/Failure

Though I live in the creative world, I wear a strong corporate hat as well.  I’m one of those equally blessed right and left brained people (yes, I do consider it a blessing).  I love to create a great product, but I also love (and desire) to see it presented in a grand and excellent way to the public.  One thing I have read over and over by successful people and I have learned through my many years of being a frontline individual to audiences and potential customers is, no matter how good your product (aka brand) is, if your frontline employees/representatives display a perceived non-desire for success, your “brand” will fail.

Where there is a “product”, this principle applies.  Your product may be a burger, shirt, gas station, house of worship, theme park, department store, etc.  It doesn’t matter.

So, other than it being a reminder for us all, why am I blogging on this you ask?!  I had a personal encounter last night that left me baffled… I popped into Kohl’s with hopes of getting a couple of new pairs of pants and 2-3 new shirts.  After making my purchases I proceeded home.  After getting home I noticed a pair of pants still had the plastic security tag on them.  So, I headed back to Kohl’s to have it removed.  The register where I made my original purchase is right at the front door, so I waited for an opportunity to ask for the tag to be removed (they do not have a customer service desk).  Upon finally taking note of me standing there, the cashier asked what she could do for me.  I proceeded to let her know that she left the security tag on a pair of pants I had purchased from her (yes, she was the same cashier). She then begin to complain (whine) how people there do not understand the systems of removing the security tags, yet it was she who left it on (again, it had only been 20 minutes earlier that I purchased them – she was the cashier who made the initial mistake).  At that very moment, she not only began to bash her own company, but was not willing to accept the obvious blame for which she was actually and clearly due.  She failed in her role in customer service and failed to positively represent her company (brand).  Who would want to shop there again after the total and obvious negativity she showed?!  The frontline employee brings success or failure.

Go the extra mile!!!  As far as tire stores go, I have never been treated as well as the frontline gentlemen at the Discount Tire chains (yes, I’ve been to more than one).  As far as I am concerned, the Chik-fil-A close to my office is the world’s best at “fast-food” dining room service – amazing! And though it’s not my personal story, take note of the Disney bus driver who overheard a conversation of someone stating an issue with their room at one of the Disney resorts, he reported the issue to the hotel, then personally visited the customer at their hotel room to make sure all was taken care of.

At the company where I am Creative Director, it is essentially our sales and marketing crew that are our true “frontline”.  At the end of the day, they represent me and the products (our brand) I develop.  I try to make it an effort to walk the sales and marketing floor at least once a day.  I connect, I communicate with them.  Why?  Not only is it good corporate communication, but I want to know I have represented my name well with them, so they have a positive drive to represent me “out there” as they interact directly with our customer base on a daily basis.

Your “frontline” is what truly projects, protects, and interjects your brand to the public eye.  They will either bring you success or failure.  Train them, teach them, challenge them to create the most positive customer experience possible and you will succeed!