EMPLOYEES -  The Auction Company's True Customers

by Deb Weidenhamer

Previous columns have discussed the importance of hiring employees for life.  The idea that we are not working for a company, but we are all riding on a bus.  We don't always know the direction in which we are going to head or who is going to occupy which seat on the bus, what we do know is that we are committed to the bus and doing whatever it takes to keep the bus going.  Sometimes we change seats on the bus, sometimes we have to stop and let someone off the bus and other times we slow down to let a new rider onto the bus.

The idea of slowing down to let a new rider on the bus is very critical.  We all have a certain procedure for running our auction companies.  Often times we are so accustomed to our way of doing business that it doesn't occur to us that we need to explain the business operations to a new employee.  However it is critical to make sure a new employee to our business is as informed as a new customer.

The easiest way to go about this process is to make a sales presentation to the new employee.  Why they want to work for the Company is just as important as why we would want you to work for a new auction client.   And whether the new employee is working checkout security or is going to head up your new sales division shouldn't make any difference in the orientation process.

It is very often the line level employee that has the greatest opportunity to sell potential customers on your company.  So make all your employees customers of your auction company.  We refer to this process as internal customer service.  A process by which we treat our employees as well as we treat our biggest account.  Ensuring email is set-up on their first day, holding a welcome luncheon and providing a solid introduction to company procedures.  This is all good internal customer service.

But it doesn't stop there.   Whatever it takes to keep that customer, in this case the employee happy is of critical importance.  No, that doesn't mean they get a raise every time they ask, but it does mean that just as with our auction customers we check in on a regular basis and see if there is anything we can do to make their experience with the company better.

Often most employees don't have unreasonable requests; in fact typically they just like the idea of being asked and don't need anything.  This follow-up is important, because it sends a message to the employee that says, "The Company treats me well, so I should treat our customers well."

It seems so easy, but we take our trusted employees for granted.  We forget they need a pat on the back or the simple kindness of an unhurried listening ear.  We ask a lot from our employees, auction companies work hard.  We need to remember our best customer -- our most lucrative account -- is our employees.