I’ll admit I have an affinity for the word “empower,†and have even woven this into some of the brands I’ve built, including a bottled water product with the tagline “Empowered Drinking Water†(Perfect Water) and a j.v. partner utilizing the same core technology for home care and commercial cleaning systems, which promised that their “Empowered Water is truly enhanced water, electrolyzed and oxidized to create a powerful cleaning solution, without harmful toxins or chemicals†(Zerorez).
In my experience, particularly with franchise systems, one of the best ways to empower employees is to give them quality materials and training, and provide them an environment in which they can perform. We built a Zerorez (derivative of “zero residueâ€) service model around this, whereby the carpet cleaners were encouraged and even trained to view themselves more as technicians (not carpet cleaners) who service “clients,†and were empowered to deliver a higher level of quality.
“Dress for Success†is a common phrase in business vernacular in the States. With Zerorez, we helped implement a dress code for uniforms that helped them to look sharp and, to a degree, be sharp. This included clean, protective booties for their feet that they would slip over their shoes before they even walk into the client’s home. Immediately that helps to establish rapport and trust between the service provider and the customer, and those are the foundations upon which the employee can feel empowered even by the customers themselves to do a quality job that’s appreciated.
Posted by: Colin Mangham