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1310 Inverary Pl.State College, PA 16801December 2, 2014

Tom PalchakBerkey Creamery Manager001 Food Sciences BldgUniversity Park, PA 16802

Dear Mr. Palchak:

Enclosed is the report that you requested entitled "Increasing Student Employee Customer Service Skills." You will find that this report contains: an introduction to the Creamery’s problem, the research plan and methodology, evaluative criteria, an overview of the possible solutions, evaluation of solutions against the criteria, and finally a recommendation. I am confident that the results in this report will help you to improve the customer service skills of your student employees.

Several methods of research were employed for this report. Interviews with Veronica Brown, Senior Sales Room Supervisor, Jake Segall, Student Supervisor, and a new student employee were conducted. Additionally, 18 student employees completed a questionnaire soliciting information in regard to training. I also reviewed relevant literature related to customer service training materials. The three evaluative criteria were: is the solution realistic for Creamery Management to implement; is it affordable; will the solution improve customer service skills of student employees? Several possible solutions were considered, to include:

> Update current employee handbook.> Provide new student employees with mentors.> Provide comprehensive training addressing customer service.> Consider video training modules.

The appropriate solution must be realistic for management to implement. It also must be affordable and have likelihood for success. After evaluating the four possible solutions against the evaluative criteria previously mentioned, I recommend a hybrid approach wherein a combination of updating the employee handbook, providing peer mentors and having product information prominently displayed for both customers and student employees.

I hope you find this report helpful in regards to increasing the customer service skills of student employees. If you have any questions or comments regarding my recommendation feel free to contact me at (814) 574-2596. Thank you for the opportunity to research these issues and provide recommendations to the Creamery in an effort to mitigate the customer service complaints.

Sincerely,

Theresa Ritzman

enclosure

Increasing Student Employee Customer Service Skills

Penn State Berkey Creamery

Prepared for:

Tom Palchak,

Berkey Creamery Manager

Prepared by:

Theresa Ritzman

Executive SummaryThe Penn State Creamery is the largest university creamery in the nation. A quick glance at the statistics from the Creamery’s web site notes that during a typical year, the Creamery will process approximately 4.5 million pounds of milk, which is used to produce its famous ice cream, sherbet, and cheeses that are their products (http://creamery.psu.edu/ ) . However, there have been complaints by customers that the ice cream servers are not always friendly or attentive, nor are they knowledgeable about the products. The objective of this report is to evaluate possible solutions that would improve customer satisfaction with the staff that serve the ice cream products. The evaluative criteria are:

Is the solution realistic for Creamery management to implement? Is the solution affordable? Likelihood that the solution will improve the customer service skills of serving staff.

To begin researching this problem, an initial interview was conducted with the Senior Sales Room Supervisor. The nature of the customer complaints were discussed to identify particular areas of concerns raised by customers. There were clear indications that customer concerns primarily focused on the two areas noted above: that servers were not generally friendly or attentive, and that servers displayed a lack of knowledge about the products they served. The supervisor noted that training for the student employees who serve ice cream has not been consistent or comprehensive. A survey of student employees also indicated training was sporadic and inconsistent. Based on the concerns raised, several potential solutions were proposed for consideration that would ostensibly provide a consistent and useful training tool for Creamery management to implement. The proposed solutions to explore were:

Update the existing employee handbook to include a section with comprehensive information that addresses appropriate customer service protocol as well as a section on creamery product details. Require all employees to read the material and provide the employees with paid time to review and be tested on the content to demonstrate their understanding of the customer service requirements.

Assign new employees to work their shifts with ‘peer mentors’ who have demonstrated excellent customer service skills and product knowledge. The peer mentor would serve as a role model and provide training on-site while serving customers.

Provide training for all new employees to include comprehensive coverage of what good customer service should be while working. Vignettes, role-playing, and a variety of other training modalities can be incorporated into the training.

Provide videos of actual interactions with customers that demonstrate both good and poor customer service.

The recommendation was to incorporate a hybrid of the proposed solutions: update the existing student employee handbook, provide peer mentors for new employees, develop a system to have product information (ingredients, nutrition information, etc.) prominently displayed for both employees and customers. The proposed solutions must be affordable, must have long-term effects, and must also be easy for Creamery management to implement. Student employees will benefit by having access to better training and a better sense of purpose while working. In turn, customer satisfaction will also improve when interacting with staff who are both pleasant and knowledgeable about the products that they serve.

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http://creamery.psu.edu/

Table of ContentsExecutive Summary...................................................................................................................................... i

Introduction................................................................................................................................................1

Research Plan and Methodology............................................................................................................1

Interview with Senior Sales Room Supervisor.......................................................................................2

Interview with Student Supervisor.........................................................................................................3

Interview with Student Employee..........................................................................................................3

Outside Research....................................................................................................................................3

Student Survey........................................................................................................................................4

Findings and Data.......................................................................................................................................9

Evaluation of Possible Solutions.................................................................................................................9

Recommendation.....................................................................................................................................11

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................11

References................................................................................................................................................12

Appendices................................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction

Creamery operations has 23 full-time employees, including management staff. In order to handle the in-store sales, the Creamery relies on a large, part-time retail sales staff comprised of between 60 and 100 student employees. The student employees serve as the ‘front-line’ staff in Creamery retail operations; primarily serving ice cream products (cones, dishes, milk-shakes). A smaller number of student employees operate the cash register and assist with replenishing general merchandise (packaged ice cream, bagels, making coffee, etc.) that is also available for sale in a self-serve format. Customers regularly ask student employees questions related to the products for sale, especially as it relates to taste, ingredients, potential allergens, product availability, etc. Although the Creamery has a student employee handbook available for review, new student employees have limited time to review the material and do not have access to a copy to keep for reference. However, the handbook does not provide details related to the ice cream products that would be helpful for the servers to know in order to answer customer questions. Unfortunately, smiling, helpful employees are not always present at Penn State’s Creamery because of the lack of training. The employees are not adequately trained in customer service nor do they receive training about the various products that are sold throughout the store. Employees who are not properly trained make the experience for the customers poor.

The purpose of this report is to help the Penn State Berkey Creamery develop better training methods for their staff that will enable the staff to improve their customer service skills. The Creamery attracts customers from all over the globe. Customers who come into the Creamery have high expectations and expect exceptional customer service. Since the Creamery represents Penn State and is considered an icon, customer service should be exceptional to carry on the Penn State tradition. Increasing the serving staff’s product knowledge and customer service skills would likely decrease the number of customer complaints related to these issues.

Research Plan and Methodology

In an effort to analyze the stated problem and determine whether current student employees have sufficient training to perform their jobs, several techniques were used:

Individual interviews were conducted with the Senior Sales Room Supervisor, a Student Supervisor, and an individual student employee. The interview format was informal but semi-structured and followed interview techniques suggested by Cresswell (2006) in regard to having prepared questions, taking notes, and ensuring confidentiality.

A simple survey questionnaire (Appendix A) was developed and a total of eighteen student employees completed the survey. Creamery Management approved the survey questions and in an effort to have an adequate response, allowed the student employees to complete the survey while on-duty. To ensure confidentiality, the students did not need to identify themselves on the survey and the students were instructed to place the completed forms in a locked, drop box that was only accessible by me.

Review of the student employee handbook for content related to customer service training. Incorporate anecdotal information based on my personal experience as a student employee.

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Review literature related to customer service training, practices, and concepts.

I gathered much of the initial information for the report through Interviews with the senior sales room attendants. They discussed their feelings about new employee training and also shared their concerns about customer service skills. Additionally, eighteen student employees completed a questionnaire and their answers have been evaluated. I also interviewed a student supervisor from the creamery to obtain her opinion on training, as well as a student employee who is new to the creamery this year to obtain her views regarding the training she received. Along with the interviews, I researched different training methods on the internet, as well as strategies that might help the staff to incorporate better customer service into their work.

Interview with Senior Sales Room Supervisor

I was able to sit down with Veronica Brown who helps direct the operations of the Creamery’s retail store. She is also responsible for hiring all the student employees, as well as creating the work schedule for the employees. After talking to her about her opinions and thoughts on the training process, I learned how they handle training their employees and the problems that arise most often. Mrs. Brown informed me that over the past two years the Penn State University requires all new employees to have a criminal background check prior to starting their new job. Background checks can take up to two weeks to be completed. When she hires new employees for the new school year, training can be rushed and sporadic. This is a result of the Creamery typically being shorthanded at the beginning of the school year and they need the employees to begin serving as soon as possible, even if the employees are not properly trained.

The training process is fairly simple; the new employees read through the student handbook and also learn how to handle dry ice. They are then given a tour of the creamery so they learn where all the products are stored and displayed. Lastly, they are taught how to scoop ice cream into cones and dishes and the proper proportions to serve. This process can take anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes depending on how busy the store is; usually they start out scooping within their first shift. If it is not very busy they might receive training to perform basic functions on the cash register. New employees primarily learn a lot from the other employees as they work more hours. When training new employees they try to stress the importance of proper hygiene in the store, and proper procedures regarding food handling. Mrs. Brown noted that, from her perspective, one of the hardest things to instill with an employee is providing good customer service; she stated, “they either have it or they don’t”. Being knowledgeable about the products that are made in the store is also something she thinks would help with their customer service skills; some employees do not know what ingredients are in certain flavors, which portrays to the customers that the students are not properly trained.

Mrs. Brown informed me that the students are not allowed to keep the handbooks they are given to read through on their first day. She believes that if each employee was able to have their own handbook to read over when they chose, it could help with their training.

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Interview with Student Supervisor

I was also able to interview Jake Segall who has been a student supervisor at the creamery for the past year. Being a student supervisor has more responsibilities than a normal employee; he helps with counting money, assigning jobs to the employees, and making sure everyone is doing their jobs correctly. When I asked him about the training process he told me that usually the student supervisor on the shift is the one that trains the new employee. He told me the same things Mrs. Brown did about the training process, how they are given a tour and basically start scooping on their first shift. He stressed that, from his viewpoint, the majority of training that the employees receive is from working with other employees. Mr. Segall told me that he thinks if the creamery had a formal training plan for everyone to follow, that the daily operations would run a lot smoother at the creamery.

Interview with Student Employee

From the interview I had with an employee who has been working at the creamery for six months, she provided insight into what she thought might enhance the training process. Michelle Kracaw told me that when she started working she did not feel confident serving the customers. She said that she received of her training from fellow employees that had been working there longer than her. She compared her training process at the creamery to when she was trained at her previous job at the restaurant chain called Chili’s. She noted that Chili’s stressed the importance of knowing all of their products so if customers asked question they were able to answer them on the spot without having to double check with someone. Ms. Kracaw stated that the creamery does not adequately prepare their employees to be knowledgeable about the products they serve. She made a great point: “if an employee cannot answer a routine inquiry from a customer about the product we are serving, the customer might assume the employee does not care about their job or them (the customer).” The lack of product knowledge is indicative of poor customer service; it seems as if the employees are not making an effort at their job.

Outside Research

After conducting my interviews with the staff, I researched ways to help improve their training process and customer service skills. The first item that came to mind was providing information to employees related to work ethics; by having better work ethics it will improve their customer service skills as well. “An advantage of teaching work ethics to every employee who becomes a part of your business is that it makes it clear that professional behavior is a must. If your employees understand the importance of not engaging in distasteful speech or practices, they will strive to maintain a pleasant and friendly environment that customers and other employees can enjoy” (Mooney, n.d.). By raising employee awareness about professional ethics, it helps with setting standards and teaching staff the importance of integrity in the workplace.

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Student SurveyEighteen students completed the survey questionnaire (Appendix A). Below is the raw data from the survey. Analysis of the results can be found under the Findings and Data section of this report.

Question 1. Gender: (10) female, (6) male, (2) chose not to disclose

Male33%

Female56%

Did not disclose11%

Q1 - Gender

Figure 1.

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Question 2. Length of time working at the Creamery:

Less than 1 month (1)

2 – 6 months (6)

6 – 12 months (2)

1 – 2 years (5)

2 or more years (4)

< 1 month6%

2 - 6 months33%

6 - 12 months11%

1 - 2 years28%

> 2 years22%

Q2 - Length of time at Creamery

Figure 2.

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Question 3. Type of training provided when first hired at Creamery (could chose more than 1):

Supervisor or peer showed me around the facility and provided a basic overview of working the counter. (16)

Read the employee handbook. (15)

Observed other employees and asked questions as necessary. (18)

Received comprehensive overview of operations, safety, food handling procedures, customer service. (0)

Little or no training that I can recall. (2)

Supervisor/Peer

Handbook

Observation

Comprehensive

Little or none

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

16

15

18

0

2

Q3 -Type of Training

# of responses

Figure 3.

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Question 4. Compared to other jobs you held, was our initial training better, worse, or about the same?

This is my first job, cannot compare. (4)

Quite a bit better. (0)

Somewhat better. (2)

About the same. (8)

Somewhat worse. (2)

Quite a bit worse. (2)

1st job22%

Somewhat better11%

Same44%

Somewhat worse11%

Quite a bit worse11%

Q4 - Training Compared to other Jobs

Figure 4

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Question 5. What type of training opportunities would be beneficial to you (can choose more than 1)?

Update existing employee handbook… (12)

Assign ‘peer mentors’ to new employees (15)

Training that incorporates role-playing, vignettes, etc. (4)

Videos of actual customer interactions (1)

Respondents were also provided an opportunity to provide suggestions in regard to training modalities. The majority of recommendations focused on having a web site with comprehensive training materials available to be accessed at their discretion.

Update Handbook

38%

Peer Men-tors47%

Role-Play-ing

13%

Videos3%

Q5 - Training Options Preferred

Figure 5

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Findings and DataAccording to the results of the survey, it is apparent that the majority of student employees surveyed, from the least to most experienced, received the bulk of their initial training by having a basic overview provided by a supervisor. The gender question was asked simply to have a sense of employee gender demographics; recognizing the small sample size would be problematic to determine if any appreciable differences could be found between male and female responses. Four of the eighteen respondents have been working at the Creamery for two or more years, and five working between one and two years. The respondents were fairly experienced in their time working at the Creamery and their input in regard to training is valuable (see fig 2). There were no significant differences indicated in the manner in which type of training employees received based on the length of time employed. Because the nine longer-term employees reported the same training experiences as those with less experience, the perceived lack of adequate training for new hires appears to be an ongoing issue.

Of the fourteen employees who reported having previous work experience with another employer, only four indicated the training received at their previous employer(s) was worse than what they received at the Creamery. The remaining ten respondents indicated their training at previous employers was similar or somewhat better (see fig 4). Having employees who experienced prior training with other employers to compare is valuable information; i.e. the employees have some basis of understanding that training is necessary to be a good performer.

Interestingly, the nine employees with twelve months or less experience had similar responses relating to the types of training they indicated would be beneficial to their becoming better employees. Approximately 66% of the respondents indicated updating the existing employee handbook would be beneficial while 83% indicated assigning peer mentors would be valuable (see fig 5). It is interesting to note that 100% of the nine employees with the most experience at the Creamery view peer mentors as a valuable resource.

In regard to the personal interviews, both the Senior Sales Room Supervisor and Student Supervisor indicated that employees rely on peers (informally) for input on how to work and interact with customers. A concern I have related to their remarks is this: because there is no formal procedure in place to ensure the new employees are paired with an experienced and trained employee, the new employee may be observing bad work habits and customer service skills. I had one other concern related to a comment that Mrs. Brown made related to customer service skills of employees in which she stated, “they either have it or they don’t”. Although I respect Mrs. Brown’s opinion, I believe she may benefit from revisiting her opinion and be more open to the fact that people can easily learn new concepts, regardless of whether they ‘have it or not’. I did raise my concern with her in this regard and she was receptive to my view.

Evaluation of Possible SolutionsIn order to make meaningful recommendations of possible solutions, each proposed solution was reviewed with the three criteria in mind: Is the solution realistic for management to implement; is it affordable; is there a likelihood the solution will improve customer service skills of serving staff:

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Proposed solution 1:


This solution is realistic and affordable in that it would require minimal effort and time of Creamery management to develop a comprehensive handbook that covers a variety of topics, especially incorporating customer service related information. A dearth of customer service related information is readily available on the web that directly relates to the food service industry. Management could engage students from an appropriate academic discipline (HR, Marketing, Food Science, etc.) to take on the challenge to develop a solid, comprehensive employee handbook that would be available to all student employees via the web, hard copy, email, etc. By incorporating a method that requires employees to reference the material and demonstrate mastery of the concepts (staff trainings, etc.), the likelihood that employees develop better customer service skills is enhanced.



This solution is realistic and affordable, and has a strong likelihood to enhance the customerservice skills of employees. There would be time and effort involved in ensuring the studentmentors are properly trained and understand their role as mentors. Careful planning would need to ensure that the student mentors interact professionally with their student mentees. Perhaps the term mentor is a bit too strong; this concept might better be viewed as simply identifying good, existing student employees who would be available for newer employees to shadow and work alongside for a defined period of time. The strong response from the survey shows this concept as being a favorite of the group.Proposed solution 3:


Although this solution might be a good training resource for employees, it is not realistic in that Creamery management would be opposed to the cost involved in producing training videos relevant to their operation. Lindsey Whissel (Producer, Penn State Public Media, WPSU TV/FM), indicated that an estimated cost to produce an in-house training video for the Creamery would be approximately $25,000.00 (developing script, hiring actors, camera and production crew, etc.). In lieu of video, if trainers were brought on-site rather than video, it would not be efficient due to the large number of student employees hired and the high turn-over rate.



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This solution is not realistic in that Creamery management would not be agreeable to having cameras taping customer interactions to be used for training purposes. Additionally, it may be in violation of University Risk Management policy to use Creamery customer images in this manner without their knowledge or permission. It was the least chosen option by survey respondents.

RecommendationThe following recommendations are provided for your consideration:

1. Incorporate a hybrid of proposed solutions numbers 1 and 2.2. Update the existing student employee handbook with information that directly pertains to

customer service skills and product information. The six simple concepts of basic customer service noted on the Skills You Need web site (skillsyouneed.com), Smile; Make the customer feel welcome; Listen; Learn your business-be an expert; Be true to your word; and Be Memorable – for the right reasons, are worth considering to be displayed throughout the Creamery where employees can readily see them (break room, time clock area, etc.). Additionally, stress the importance of management’s expectations that all employees present a pleasant and helpful demeanor to customers, regardless of where the employee is working during their assigned shifts.

3. Utilize experienced and trained employees as peer mentors for new employees. Peer mentoring can be easily assimilated into operations with minimal disruption or time constraints. The peer mentors can provide a natural and encouraging environment for new employees, especially during the new employees’ initial shifts.

4. Develop a system to have product information (ingredients, nutrition information, etc.) prominently displayed for both employees and customers. A suggestion made by several current employees in their survey response was for simple laminated sheets of paper with the information easily viewed from both behind the counter and displayed on the ‘sneeze guards’ for customers.

I believe the solutions to be affordable, and once in place, have the potential to provide long-term, positive effects. The recommendations are also easy for Creamery management to implement. Student employees will benefit by having access to better training, a better sense of purpose while working, and customer satisfaction will improve when interacting with staff who are pleasant and knowledgeable about the products.

ConclusionEnhancing the training methods for new student employees at the Penn State Berkey Creamery may in turn reduce the number of complaints from Creamery customers. Customers perceptions that serving staff are not customer oriented and do not demonstrate knowledge about the products they serve will be solved with better employee training. The focus of this report was to outline and recommend solutions for training new staff incorporating all of the criteria important to Creamery Management.

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References

Penn State Creamery Web Site: http://creamery.psu.edu/

Cresswell, J. W. (2006). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. (2nd. Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mooney, L. Advantages of training employees about work ethics. Small Business by Demand Media. Retrieved October 25, 2014 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html

Penn State Creamery Web Site: http://creamery.psu.edu/

Skills You Need. (n.d.). Working towards customer satisfaction: Customer service tips. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/customer-service-tips.html

Whissel, Lindsey, Producer, Penn State Public Media, WPSU/TV. Information provided via a phone conversation on November 3, 2014.

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http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/customer-service-tips.html


http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html


Appendices

Student Employee Training Survey

As part of a class project and in conjunction with Creamery Management, I am requesting your help. In an effort to provide better customer service, the Creamery is looking at the training that new student employees receive when hired. Please complete the following survey based on your experience with the training you receive(d) related to customer service and Creamery products. You do not need to identify yourself and your responses will be confidential. Please place your completed survey in the locked box near the time clock. I am the only person who will have access to the completed surveys. Veronica Brown has authorized that you can complete the survey during work time. Time will be provided for you to complete the survey which should only take a few minutes. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. What is your gender?

Female

Male

Choose not to disclose

2. How long have you worked at the Creamery?

less than 1 month

2 – 6 months

6 – 12 months

1 – 2 years

2 or more years

3. What type of training specific to Creamery operations did you undergo prior to starting your first shift (can choose more than one)?

Supervisor or peer showed me around the facility and provided a basic overview of working the counter.

Read the employee handbook

Watched other employees and asked questions as necessary

Received an organized, comprehensive overview of operations, safety, food handling procedures, customer service

Little or No training that I can recall

Other – please comment: ___________________________________________ _

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________________________________________________________________ _

_________________________________________________________________ _

4. Compared to other jobs you’ve held, was our initial training better, worse, or about the same?

This is my first job, cannot compare

Quite a bit better

Somewhat better

About the same

Somewhat worse

Quite a bit worse

5. What type of training opportunities do you believe would be beneficial to have available? You can choose more than one.





Please provide any suggestions you believe would be worth considering.

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Copy of final project.docx - Pennsylvania State Universitysites.psu.edu/theresacareersite/.../uploads/...FinalProje… · Web viewWhen training new employees they try to stress