Just caught a snatch of Desert Island Discs with John Timpson the owner of the shoe repair/key cutter business and intrigued by what I heard so did some googling. If Roland thinks he has a vision of how to run a customer orientated business he should check out this.
Here are some edited fascinating facts from the world of Timpson’s Upside Down Management, but there are many more relating to how to treat staff:
Staff are actively encouraged to use their initiative and try new ideas. “If the ideas work, tell me. If they don’t work, just stop.”
Get rid of poor performing staff quickly.
A key internal training course is (as you might expect) Customer Care.
Most customers are a miserable bunch. Don’t just encourage staff to smile, it is their role to put a smile on the face of their customers.
No advertising – “our customers do that for us”
Delegate authority but NOT responsibility. “This is what most external people misunderstand.”
How to be a great boss = Listen + praise (praise 10 x more than you criticise).
Email has placed a premium on the hand written thank you letter (ideally with a hand written envelope and a stamp sent to their home address)
Avoid meetings. A waste of time.
Avoid excessive time spent budgeting.
Get out on the road to visit your shops and customers to get real-time information.
10
Comments
@Dippenhall - I see what you did there - key training course - v good.
Roland could learn a lot
They have a policy too of giving employees the day off when it's their birthday.
Forget all this US mumbo jumbo corporate management bullshit - it's simple just involve staff and support them even if it goes tit's up.
And as for management consultants........ nearly as bad as estate agents and 'employment' specialists.
They've also got a history of fostering & adopting kids alongside their birth children and continue to support training (throught the Timpson Foundation) for post-adoption parents to help dealing with the plethora of issues an adopted kid brings with them (as an adopter, I've been on one of the courses they funded).
Also, Timpson's son is a Tory MP, but given his background growing up with kids from the care system, Cameron has actually done something right & put him in charge of reviewing the whole adoption process and (lack of) post adoption support - he's doing some good work.