Make sure your people have the skills, knowledge and experience to solve the customer problem

I left a hardware store trusting my own judgment rather than the advice I was given. What did I learn?

That experience isn’t always what it looks like on paper, in appearance or in the branding. 

I went in to buy what I thought was a common tool to repair a leaky tap.

The service representative was friendly, but it was clear they hadn’t had much hands-on experience with that type of repair.

They suggested a generic tool that could have damaged the tap and created a much bigger problem.

So I gave up on that advice and found the exact tool I needed, on my way out, on my own!

I wasn’t looking for someone to tell me which aisle to walk down.

I was looking for someone who understood the problem and to guide me on how best to solve it.

That got me thinking about service standards and improvement, and what capability should really look like in practice.

If you run a hardware store serving a DIY market, your people need more than product knowledge or to know where the products can be found. 

They need the capability to help solve customer problems.

Someone who could say:

“Here’s the tool you need. Here are the parts you should buy. Here’s what to do.”

I don’t expect service people to have solved every conceivable problem. But I do think organisations need to intentionally design for capability that matches the problems their customers bring.

The same principle applies to any organisation or service provider. Know the problems you’re trying to solve.

And ensure the experience you hire and the training you provide aligns with that reality.

Experience is not time served or jobs previously done. Experience is what someone has done with their knowledge and skills:

• The problems they have solved.

• The situations they have navigated.

• The outcomes they have created.

• The lessons they have learned.

The same applies when engaging experts, coaches, consultants or facilitators.

Don’t just look for someone who knows the frameworks or tools. Look for someone who has walked in your shoes and has previously encountered your problem.

Because knowing the process is useful. Understanding the problem and what to do with it is where the value lies.

Final note - don't DM me to fix your leaky tap. Happy to stuff up my own work.