RCS

RCS

n. “Remarkable Customer Service.” The name of a corporate slogan program.

NOTE: Where I work, except for a few individuals who already “got it” because they walked in with it, RCS was evidenced for a long, long time by a few posters in the BREAK ROOM, and not much else.

Recently, however, all ASSOCIATES have had to take mandatory “G.E.T. Friendly” training, where they view an inspirational video and learn that “G.E.T.” stands for “Greet,” “Eye-Contact,” and “Thank.” Then they get a campaign-style button that says “I make the promise.”

Well, as I have some background in instructional design, I know that performance training—teaching a skill—is one thing, and affective training—that is, instilling a new attitude—is quite another. Generally, it's several orders of magnitude more difficult, and usually succeeds only if you understand you have to seek change not only in the employee, but in the surrounding environment as well. Further, I've heard of no metric by which they're going to measure these hoped for changes, reward those who shine, or rehabilitate those who slack off.

So, while I wish them well, I wonder how long it may take before “G.E.T. Friendly” becomes just another few posters in the BREAK ROOM, and not much else.