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The Dangers of Tuning Out Employee Complaints
Let's tell it like it is: Few Salon and Spa owners want to
hear from employees who complain.
Small-business owners are among the least likely to want to
hear negative feedback. Entrepreneurs who put everything on
the line and work all hours of the day and night scarcely
have enough time to eat much less listen to an employee who
has a beef about something. And the truth is, the majority
of companies, big and small, tend to discourage employees
from airing grievances, experts say. But it's an extremely
shortsighted policy. Here's why you must pay attention to
employee complaints, even if you don't think they are
valid, and some tips on handling the gamut of grousing,
from whining to worrisome.
Why you need to listen
How you address staff protests directly influences the
company climate. And that weather report - fair or foul -
is endlessly broadcasted to customers, and anyone else who
will listen. If you don't handle employee complaints, you
create resentment, low morale, low productivity and
increased turnover. Ignoring worker concerns or objections
could further land you in deep trouble, legal and
otherwise.
On the other side, internal griping can provide helpful
feedback. "Employee complaints are just as valuable as
customer complaints," says Janelle Barlow, a Las Vegas
human resources consultant and the author of "Complaint is
a Gift." "They definitely shouldn't be dismissed, in the
same way that customer complaints must never be dismissed."
Resolving complaints
The best way to clear the air of complaints is to focus on
problems before they fester. These five strategies make
that easier:
1.
Watch your tongue. The way you react to a complaint
immediately sets a tone. Managers often discourage
employees from telling them what's wrong by subtle threats
or outright punishment. In that case,the complaints go
underground, surfacing as break room conversation.
Don't trivialize the grievance, even if it's a noisy
protest about the lack of a coffee machine in the
breakroom. You don't have to remedy every complaint, but
you should be courteous. "Employees want to be heard, so
open by saying, 'I appreciate, I respect, I understand why
you might feel that way,'" says Jay Arthur, author of
"Motivate Everyone."
2.
Recognize the individual. Don't let complaints slide on
slick reassurances or one-size-fits-all platitudes. Respond
to the specific employee and his particular beef. So when
addressing employee issues, it's critical to tune in to
those individual needs, not some generic response.
3.
Direct traffic. Set up a formal process for submitting
grievances that's communicated to everyone.
To avoid legal pitfalls, clearly define the process and
ensure that it's private and moves toward an outcome or
resolution. Owners or managers should set a time in which
to respond. Here are some suggestions:
· "Good point. We can fix that." Then identify and document
how.
· "Can you clarify your complaint and/or get me more facts
by [such-and-such time]. . . so I can better evaluate or
act on it."
· "We can't change the situation and here's why . . ."
Explain your company policy. After that, don't forget to
update HR or any appropriate managers.
4.
Be consistent. No employee likes surprises. The way around
accusations of favoritism, pleas of ignorance or similar
unrest is by citing the policies of your formal employee
handbook or manual. Most salon or spa owners can't be
bothered to write one. But it's in your best interest.
Without one, every employee works with different rules and
guidelines on compensation, vacation, sick leave,
harassment or discriminatory behavior and on and on.
It's all about communication. Companies that respond to a
complaint, investigate it and don't let it go by will stop
it from growing.
5.
Send the right message. To truly create an atmosphere that
rewards employees for coming forward, you need to make it
comfortable. Lip service won't do. There are dozens of ways
to achieve that, of course. In a salon or spa, it's easy
to get everyone in a room and get employee buy-in. At the
next staff meeting the owner might talk about business
trends, worries he/she has, the impact the new salon down
the street is having on the business - basically, a casual
"state of the company" address. "In the course of the
meeting, he/she might ask, "What else would you like us to
address?" He/she might also invite employees to talk to him
later, privately, if something's on their mind.
The best companies are places where the chain of
communication goes both ways.
Obviously, all complaints aren't created equal. But
ignoring them altogether can only cause damage. Start
working on that employee manual.
Need an Employee Handbook? We'll tailor a complete
employee handbook specifically for your salon or spa.
Includes:
One hour of consulting to discuss your Handbook
Design of Hanbook
And one revision
For more information or to begin your project call:
248.546.4312.
theSECRET Salon & Spa by Design Royal Oak, MI 866.288.7353
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