Employee Friendliness? - tanTALK

Ginger · 10-15-2002, 07:36 AM

I have a fairly new employee who seemed really outgoing when I hired her. When I'm around her (we work alone on different shifts) she sounds very mechanical. She'll say "Hello, how are you?" with no meaning or enthuisiasm at all. What's the best way to get this across to her. She needs to loosen up, but I don't know how to approach her without sounding too critical.

She's gotten close to some clients & they comment how sweet she is. But I cringe when she turns her "machine" on to say "have a nice day" (in monotone).

pam · 11-01-2002, 11:16 AM

Ginger,
How is it going with this employee? It is hard. I had a girl last year who was a great employee as far as her work. She was also very pleasant but lacked 'outgoingness'. She came across rude and she wasn't. I finally let her go when her other job schedule began conflicting too much. I really liked this girl on a personal level but you can't make someone outgoing. It was just too far out of her comfort zone. She is better working away from large groups of people. Some people just don't 'get' people skills. Some things you either get or you don't. In this girl's defense, she gets math and calculus and I don't.
Pam

terabarchuleta · 11-01-2002, 01:05 PM

That is a bad situation I had the same thing a few moths ago. This girl was a very nice girl to me but not a very outgoing girl to anyone else. I had to let her go day 2 because of it. If you even feel a little weird watch it it is your business not anyone else. follow your heart!!!

fungirlz · 11-01-2002, 05:10 PM

I had one girl we tried for a few weeks..( She interviewed great!!!..)when I hired her I thought she was just getting over the flu and had lost her voice a bit.. then it turns out that this is how she talked.. you couldn't hear her.. she'd wisper.. and look at the desk when she talked and rub her little nose..
I told her after a few days of this. Jennifer just... shout.. just shout.. she started to cry........I said why are you crying she wispered... your yelling at me.. I said no I'm talking to you.. I don't wisper.. it is not polite to wisper.. unless you are at a grave site, or the theater..this is a studio we talk.. You must talk to the guests Jennifer... She said I can't work here it's too much pressure..
She was crying so hard I went to Longhorn bought a gift certificate for her..and said.. go have dinner on me..
Sometimes you just gotta know.. they won't work out..

uniquelyyours · 11-01-2002, 06:35 PM

I had an employee who did the job but just the job without any personality. I am proud now to say she is my favorite employee. I would suggest role playing. You can have an employee meeting and have everyone participate. People can adopt personality traits from others. Let her know you want your employees to enjoy themselves. Do an example of a phone call and how you want it handled, a customer complaint, a customer entering your salon etc. Make sure everyone takes a turn and comment on each of them. You can say you did a great job but if you could do it more like this and show by example. I know this worked for us maybe it will for you.

Teresa · 11-01-2002, 10:04 PM

I do role playing all of the time when we are slow. I just pop in and walk up to the counter and start asking questions, just like a real customer. My employees have fun with it and it helps them have the quick and correct answers if I'm always quizzing them.

Occasionally, I say ok now it's your turn to be the client, to see if they can stump me. More times than not they are the "constant complainer client" just so they can see how I deal with it.

fungirlz · 11-01-2002, 10:08 PM

I don't make a place for my team members.. they must make their place.. We are way too busy for that.. I don't have time to teach someone to get a personality...

pam · 11-01-2002, 10:11 PM

Agree! I don't have the patience to raise any more kids.

uniquelyyours · 11-02-2002, 08:05 PM

Unfortunately some people have not worked in an environment where their personality has to shine. If you are in a hum drum job your personality doesn't really matter. I have found more often than none that most people don't have outgoing personalities and those that do can't always get the job done. If it takes me a little time to polish up a diamond in the ruff I will be ready every time. I agree that every person that darkens your door for a job will not be the one but you will know who they are. I guess I have more patience than most because I have taken different classes that taught me that and myself have been employed at a business that taught me to become the business woman I am today. Best of Luck Ginger on your endeavors to create a winning team.
Brandi

pam · 11-02-2002, 10:45 PM

I didn't mean to sound harsh about training someone. It is probably because I am not a very good trainer. I have a tendency to assume that everyone knows what I know. Sometimes I forget that I have had alot of good training in other fields and just growing up in an entreprenuerial (is that a word?) family. I will gladly polish a diamond in the rough but I better see a little sparkle to begin with.
Pam

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10-15-2002, 07:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ginger Join Date: Jan 27 2000 Posts: 415 Rep Power: 25	I have a fairly new employee who seemed really outgoing when I hired her. When I'm around her (we work alone on different shifts) she sounds very mechanical. She'll say "Hello, how are you?" with no meaning or enthuisiasm at all. What's the best way to get this across to her. She needs to loosen up, but I don't know how to approach her without sounding too critical. She's gotten close to some clients & they comment how sweet she is. But I cringe when she turns her "machine" on to say "have a nice day" (in monotone).

11-01-2002, 11:16 AM	#2 (permalink)
pam I'm Banned Join Date: Oct 29 2001 Location: USA Posts: 3,893 Rep Power: 0	Ginger, How is it going with this employee? It is hard. I had a girl last year who was a great employee as far as her work. She was also very pleasant but lacked 'outgoingness'. She came across rude and she wasn't. I finally let her go when her other job schedule began conflicting too much. I really liked this girl on a personal level but you can't make someone outgoing. It was just too far out of her comfort zone. She is better working away from large groups of people. Some people just don't 'get' people skills. Some things you either get or you don't. In this girl's defense, she gets math and calculus and I don't. Pam

11-01-2002, 01:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
terabarchuleta Join Date: Sep 18 2002 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	That is a bad situation I had the same thing a few moths ago. This girl was a very nice girl to me but not a very outgoing girl to anyone else. I had to let her go day 2 because of it. If you even feel a little weird watch it it is your business not anyone else. follow your heart!!!

11-01-2002, 05:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
fungirlz Join Date: Jan 17 2002 Posts: 4,339 Rep Power: 24	I had one girl we tried for a few weeks..( She interviewed great!!!..)when I hired her I thought she was just getting over the flu and had lost her voice a bit.. then it turns out that this is how she talked.. you couldn't hear her.. she'd wisper.. and look at the desk when she talked and rub her little nose.. I told her after a few days of this. Jennifer just... shout.. just shout.. she started to cry........I said why are you crying she wispered... your yelling at me.. I said no I'm talking to you.. I don't wisper.. it is not polite to wisper.. unless you are at a grave site, or the theater..this is a studio we talk.. You must talk to the guests Jennifer... She said I can't work here it's too much pressure.. She was crying so hard I went to Longhorn bought a gift certificate for her..and said.. go have dinner on me.. Sometimes you just gotta know.. they won't work out..

11-01-2002, 06:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
uniquelyyours Join Date: Oct 29 2002 Location: N.C. Age: 51 Posts: 209 Rep Power: 22	I had an employee who did the job but just the job without any personality. I am proud now to say she is my favorite employee. I would suggest role playing. You can have an employee meeting and have everyone participate. People can adopt personality traits from others. Let her know you want your employees to enjoy themselves. Do an example of a phone call and how you want it handled, a customer complaint, a customer entering your salon etc. Make sure everyone takes a turn and comment on each of them. You can say you did a great job but if you could do it more like this and show by example. I know this worked for us maybe it will for you.

11-01-2002, 10:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
Teresa Join Date: Dec 29 2001 Location: Davenport, IA Age: 60 Posts: 2,432 Rep Power: 25	I do role playing all of the time when we are slow. I just pop in and walk up to the counter and start asking questions, just like a real customer. My employees have fun with it and it helps them have the quick and correct answers if I'm always quizzing them. Occasionally, I say ok now it's your turn to be the client, to see if they can stump me. More times than not they are the "constant complainer client" just so they can see how I deal with it.

11-01-2002, 10:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
fungirlz Join Date: Jan 17 2002 Posts: 4,339 Rep Power: 24	I don't make a place for my team members.. they must make their place.. We are way too busy for that.. I don't have time to teach someone to get a personality...

11-01-2002, 10:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
pam I'm Banned Join Date: Oct 29 2001 Location: USA Posts: 3,893 Rep Power: 0	Agree! I don't have the patience to raise any more kids.

11-02-2002, 08:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
uniquelyyours Join Date: Oct 29 2002 Location: N.C. Age: 51 Posts: 209 Rep Power: 22	Unfortunately some people have not worked in an environment where their personality has to shine. If you are in a hum drum job your personality doesn't really matter. I have found more often than none that most people don't have outgoing personalities and those that do can't always get the job done. If it takes me a little time to polish up a diamond in the ruff I will be ready every time. I agree that every person that darkens your door for a job will not be the one but you will know who they are. I guess I have more patience than most because I have taken different classes that taught me that and myself have been employed at a business that taught me to become the business woman I am today. Best of Luck Ginger on your endeavors to create a winning team. Brandi

11-02-2002, 10:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
pam I'm Banned Join Date: Oct 29 2001 Location: USA Posts: 3,893 Rep Power: 0	I didn't mean to sound harsh about training someone. It is probably because I am not a very good trainer. I have a tendency to assume that everyone knows what I know. Sometimes I forget that I have had alot of good training in other fields and just growing up in an entreprenuerial (is that a word?) family. I will gladly polish a diamond in the rough but I better see a little sparkle to begin with. Pam

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