justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

On-the-Job Training is an Oxymoron

How many times have you entered a place of business and experienced someone being trained to do a job that involves greeting you and fulfilling your expectations?  This little OJT scenario occurred in an upscale restaurant I recently experienced in Boston. A new hire was instructed to take us to our seats, provide us a menu, ask if we wanted water, and inform us that a “real waiter” would be coming soon to take our order. Except for his evident nervousness, our experience with the new hire was acceptable. I can predict with certainty that this trainee will become more confident soon and will prove quite capable meeting my expectations as a paying customer. 

Another recent OJT experience was not acceptable in the least. I purchase a smoothie from a national chain on a regular basis. In one of their stores last week, a person I didn’t recognize was working the cash register. (I guess they still call a computer terminal a cash register.) It was a warm afternoon, a nearby high school had just let out, and 12 or so people were in line waiting to place their order. The person at the front of the line requested an additional ingredient. It quickly became apparent the unfamiliar face was a new hire when she had to stop and ask a teammate for help because the additional ingredient was not recognizable or a part of the descriptions on her cash register key board. The teammate – who was performing his assigned duty filling cups with the finished smoothies - had to stop what he was doing to first tell, then point, and then press the required button to complete the order. Yes, the experienced employee pressed the button himself, so the new employee did not necessarily learn how to complete the function if the request came up again. I’m sure you’re already ahead of me and have already guessed that the same task came up on the very next order.  

In an apologetic tone, the new hire repeated the question, asking the same teammate for help. This time though, the colleague didn’t even try to teach the technique. This stopping, asking, and right-button-pushing went off and on for 15 minutes. I watched several customers leave the line and depart the store without ever buying their smoothies.  

It would be interesting to calculate the lost business and relation to the cost of time and added frustration in using this style OJT. Instead of establishing a simulated new-hire training program where all kinds of scenarios can be experienced through a structured learning curve complete with expected mistakes, the smoothie store lost the opportunity to deliver service excellence through a confident employee. More importantly, it may have lost the opportunity for repeat business from satisfied customers.

You see – I stayed in line and patiently waited my turn. I smiled and tried my best to put the new employee at ease by just saying, “First day? I’ll be your best training customer all day. Take your time and let’s learn together. We’ve all been there.” But, unable to count on service excellence, I will not return to the store on any day I am the slightest bit pressed for time. A potential sale has been lost from a less than raving fan customer.  

It often seems like the experienced employee thinks the direction being given, or the training being provided to the new hire is taking place in an invisible space – where you are not supposed to notice what’s going on. But we all can see it IS going on.

Sometimes the experienced employee informs customers that the person undergoing the OJT is “new”, or “in training”, implying that you are expected to lower your expectations for service quality. Not for my money.

There is a better way.