Rules, Rules and More Rules

Face it - almost nobody likes rules. But we live with rules every day, in every part of our lives. If you think about it, rules exist to deal with or avoid problems. If we had no problems we would need no rules. Clearly, we have a need for rules, but some of them seem unnecessary. How do you know when you have enough?

The first rule of having rules is that you should have as few as possible, and only those which you will enforce. In our business every rule should be designed to enhance customer service. For instance, our switchboard opens at 8:00 am. If the phones begin ringing and we can’t respond, customer service is impaired. Consistent tardiness or absence cannot be tolerated. This is a rule worthy of enforcement.

Another rule worth enforcing is appearance standards for customer-facing employees.

Our customers expect our employees to be neat and well-groomed not because it affects their performance but because it affects the customer’s perception of Tom’s. There can be no acceptable excuse for unprofessional appearance.

Rules should never be allowed to interfere with “employee empowerment.” Customer service is enhanced when employees are allowed to use their own judgement to resolve issues. As long as we hire employees who are smart and use common sense, we don’t need to limit them with an arbitrary set of rules. The only rule needed in this area is, “Hire the smartest, most caring people you can find.” Managers can always make adjustments when employees make poor judgment calls but should resist the urge to solve those issues with a new set of rules.

Let’s assume that you have a set of rules in place and you are confident that the list is not too long. The next step is to monitor compliance with the rules. Once you begin an effective monitoring process you are going to find violations, which means you must have a plan for dealing with them.

Accidental violations are easy. They require counseling plus more frequent monitoring.

Occasional violations are the hardest because you know the employee is capable of following the rules but sometimes chooses not to. If it is just a matter of getting the employee’s attention, a suspension without pay can be very effective.

The final type of violation - ongoing and intentional - must be dealt with quickly, likely through termination. Harsh, you say? Remember two things:

1. Rules are put in place to enhance customer service
2. Your other employees are watching

“It isn’t what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.” If you aren’t willing to enforce your own rules why should anyone follow them? (Who’s in Charge?)

The best managers periodically review their rules and make changes as needed.

Sometimes rules need to be added, sometimes they need to be modified or eliminated.

You should review the rules in your division at least annually to make sure they are accomplishing the intended results. Once you feel comfortable about the rules you have in place don’t be shy about enforcement. Though painful in the short run, the long-term benefits of consistent rule enforcement - better customer service, better employees and better profits – will be more than worth the temporary discomfort.