What gets measured gets done! I love this phrase; I’m a huge fan of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). At Service Express, we have a robust performance measurement system. We look at things on a global scale, by country, region, office, and right down to the individual level. I love data and KPIs; I love tracking progress.
When reviewing KPIs, the key is to look at where you’re successful, whether individually, as a department or as a company, and ask why. Why are we having success? How can we keep this going? Should we invest more in this area? How do we ensure ongoing success?
If you’re not finding success or hitting your numbers for any period, ask why. Is it related to performance or our systems and processes? There may be a training or resource issue. The key is to ask why, solve the problem and remove obstacles.
Another thing about KPIs is knowing when to look at the data, which gives you the company’s long-range direction. Know when to go beyond the data and not let KPIs rule your company. Don’t harm an employee or customer just to hit a KPI.
A recent example: a few weeks ago, we had a President’s Club event for our top sales performers in Florida. Some employees had a flight delay connecting through another city. The airline knew they were coming and that they were going to be close to missing their connection. They landed a few gates down from where their connection was, and despite the airline knowing they were just minutes away, they closed the doors for an on-time departure, leaving our employees behind.
They found another flight, and everything was fine, but it’s an unfortunate example of a company prioritizing KPIs over great customer service. Don’t do that! Don’t put KPIs ahead of being flexible to meet customer needs. I get that we can’t do everything for everyone, but in cases like this, they could have. It’s a great reminder of the power of KPIs to grow your company and provide feedback for your people, but you must stay flexible and always ask the why.
