LEARNING GOAL OVERVIEW
Customer service was the main goal of IGA with the Docebo platform, and needed to be at the heart of the retail business model. It is a vital element of the store’s operations as it impacts the bottom line and affects how the company is viewed in the public eye. IGA’s project vision is to provide an excellent shopping experience for every shopper, leveraging the authentic strength of IGA retailers.
CUSTOMER CHALLENGE
Attempts to improve customer service are frequent in IGA and in the grocery industry. The expectation for great service is a challenge all grocers face, but as local operators, IGA stores have insight into their shoppers lives and community; and the freedom to customize their service and offerings.
Great customer service is difficult to deliver for many reasons:
• It’s a moving target that is difficult to define
• It’s not instinctive
• Clients see what retailers don’t
• It relies heavily on human beings
• It needs consistency day-in and day-out
SOLUTION
The IGA Institute understands the root of good (and bad) customer service is organizational culture. Thus, they needed a training strategy that required refining store culture. The strategy was set in motion with two stages:
Stage 1: Identification of 11 behaviors that demonstrated great customer service. In order to design a valuable intervention, a trusted insight and a rigorous process were required.
Stage 2: After the key behaviors were identified, the Institute Approach was incorporated. The initial prototype was tested in seven stores, resulting in a training solution and the name for the program: IGA Way to Care. The IGA Way to Care program would offer the resources, support and guidance to enhance stores shopping experience and meet the levels of the industry-leaders. The information and findings of Stage One, in conjunction with this initial field prototype, lead the team to a model divided into three phases:
Assessment: Store Analysis
Influencing Change: Training
Continual Progress: Ongoing Management
To offer an excellent shopping experience, every member of the store needs to be invested in providing personalized and authentic shopper care.
PHASE 1 Assessment – Store Analysis:
This included store assessments, measuring existing shopper satisfaction and performance of shopper service behaviours. Associate surveys measuring to overall leadership were also conducted to assess effectiveness.
PHASE 2 Influencing Change – Training:
This included a Culture and Mission Workshop for Owners/District Managers along with a series of online leadership courses for managers, explaining the tactics and methods for building an engaged team and service culture within the store. Docebo’s LMS, available through the IGA Institute, also supported leaders in managing and tracking their associates learning process.
PHASE 3 Continual Progress – Ongoing Management:
Monthly calls were hosted to discuss important milestones, associate and leadership surveys were conducted and monthly reports including shipper feedback were also produced.
RESULTS
With its new strategy in place, IGA Institute reaffirmed that the majority of learning happens informally, making it necessary to strategize how to effectively learn together. When managers give up the responsibility to develop their people, they miss the opportunity to teach within the environment that learning actually happens. In fact, studies have shown informal learning makes up the vast majority of workplace learning, perhaps as much as 80%. People learn from interacting with their peers, managers, or experts in their organizations.
