This is my 12th year blogging.
One thing I enjoy most is having conversations with people from all walks of life. Some of the best business insights come not from CEOs, but from ordinary people doing ordinary jobs.
Recently, I spoke with a supermarket bagger about his job. I asked four simple questions. Here are his answers, exactly as he gave them.
The interview
1. Dislike
- Inconsiderate boss (can’t tolerate emergency leave)
- Demanding boss (giving simultaneous orders)
2. Wishlist
- Good supervisor
- Better earning
- Better future for my kids
3. Like
- Learning about new category
- Not bored
4. Overkill
- none
His answers are short. But they reveal a lot. What is he really saying? His problem isn’t the job. It’s how he is managed.
An inconsiderate supervisor creates resentment. Simultaneous orders create confusion. For a frontline employee, the immediate supervisor is the company.
His wishlist is even more revealing: a good supervisor, better earnings, and a better future for his children.
He is not simply asking for a better paycheck. He wants respect today, opportunity tomorrow, and security for his family.
And he likes learning. That is an opportunity for the supermarket.
If he enjoys learning new categories and dislikes being bored, why not cross-train him? Give him exposure to other areas of the business. Let him build skills that can eventually lead to greater responsibility. and better earning.
The supermarket gets a more capable and flexible employee. He gets a career path.
Don’t underestimate the bagger
The bagger may be one of the most junior employees in the store, but he is also one of the last human touchpoints in the customer’s journey.
The customer has selected the products, queued, paid, and then interacts with the bagger before leaving.
Customer experience is not created only by advertising, store design or management. It is created through hundreds of small frontline interactions every day.
That final interaction matters.
Which is why how a supermarket treats its frontline employees eventually shows up in how customers experience the supermarket.
What struck me most was his answer to Overkill: none.
He isn’t asking for extravagant perks. He wants a good supervisor. Better earning. A chance to learn. A better future for his kids. Perhaps employee engagement is not as complicated as we make it.
Treat people with respect. Give clear direction. Help them learn. Give them a path to grow.
Do that, and you don’t just improve an employee’s experience. You may improve the experience of every customer that employee serves.
Never underestimate the person holding the customer’s grocery bag.
#Conversation