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Communication : A Two-Way Street
By Ronelle Ingram
August 2008
- “My techs never seem to listen. I tell them the same thing everyday.”
- “How can I get my techs to listen to the instructions I give them?”
- “Employees never seem to hear what I say.”
- “I told him to check his car stock before he drove 40 miles to the customer only to realize he did not have the part.”
Failure to communicate is one of the most common areas of frustrations expressed by service managers. Rather than being frustrated with why techs don’t do what is requested, let’s take a look in the mirror. Instead of blaming the tech for not doing what you ask, let’s examine a better way for you to communicate.
Think of it as troubleshooting. If replacing the switch does not repair the problem, would you just keep replacing the same switch over and over again? Or would you check the wiring and then check the PC board that tells the switch when to engage?
Similar principles should apply when dealing with communicating with your staff. You, the manager, is responsible for changing your approach when communicating with the tech. Just because you feel you have adequately expressed a need or instruction does not mean you actually communicated this thought.
When talking with a tech, in person or on the telephone, I always ask very specific questions that require a response that instantly tells me if I have actually communicated my thought to the tech. “Exactly where are you right now?”
“I am on the way to Smith Company,” replies the tech.
“What street are you near, or what freeway off ramp are you approaching? I need an exact location,” I repeat.
“I am in Torrance,” replies the tech.
“What are your two closest cross streets?” Which direction are you traveling?” I persist.
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