Give your team the ability to make decisions.
While shopping, I grabbed a $1 yogurt without a barcode.
The check out dilemma is worth checking out.

A staff member of the store came over seeing I was perplexed.  No barcode?  How?

1. I suggested let’s scan another one?  Not sure if that’s allowed.
2. Let me grab another one.  No…line too long
3. Leave it behind?  No, don’t want to waste it.
4. Just give it to me? (but I’m not asking)

No, next step was grabbing another employee; a new conversation with the same first 3 points.

Don’t know what to do.

Let me get a manager.  Really?

So we tied up 3 people, including management over one yogurt (well it was vanilla bean).
Between 5 and 10 minutes later…leadership sets in:  just scan another one.
No real drama other than the time, the delay, the number of people involved.

Hey customer experience leaders:  What should have happened?

LESSON: Empower your employees to work it like they own it.  Problems happen; how can you solve them to delight the customer.  Treat your employees like they make a difference…and they will.