Moving Words – Consistency
Written by Timothy Brady.
“In any team sport, the best teams have consistency and chemistry.” – Roger Staubach
Blind ambition will spin wheels but never move you forward; however, when you add persistence to the process, forward motion will begin. But – one more element is necessary to actually move towards achieving a goal. That element is a focused, plan of attack consistency. Without all three – ambition, persistence and consistency, you become a ‘bull in a china shop,’ making progress, but leaving a wake of destruction in the path you take.
In the moving game, it’s necessary to work within a very defined set of procedures to accomplish your goals. And this is true throughout the entire moving business model. From the consistency of step-by-step sales to find potential customers, to the way the estimate is completed, room by room and listing what stays and what goes; what needs special handling to what the shipper/customer can do to save money without jeopardizing their valued possessions.
It’s as equally important in the processes and procedures in how consistently the pack crew, van operator and his/her crew handle every move from shipment assignment to stepping into the shipper’s house for the first time. It’s how they handle every step of the move. Every action, every motion the packers and van operator do must have a purpose and a defined reason. And for consistency in quality of service, it needs to be done the same way each and every time so no steps are missed.
Consistency promotes accountability. When you do a task with a set procedure, a series of chronological steps to accomplish the final goal, it becomes a lot like telling the truth. You don’t have to remember what you said or did because the results prove it was done correctly.
Consistency determines your reputation. Your business reputation requires a track record of successes. You can’t establish a track record if you are shifting gears or trying different methods. This is where it’s important to have a preset list of procedures to successfully accomplish the same quality results over and over. Many endeavors fail before they get to the finish line, not because the tactic was flawed or goals weren’t clear. The problem is often that the team simply didn’t keep their procedures consistent to achieve the objective.
Consistency makes you relevant. Your shippers need a predictable flow of information from you, your employees and contractors. All too often, many will use the ‘shotgun approach’ to providing services, only to end with vital processes being ignored or lost in the confusion. Having a step-by-step procedure for every contact with a shipper, be it the initial estimate, the pre-move evaluation, the move scheduling, packing, inventorying, loading, transport, unloading, unpacking and/or claims handling. Each one of these activities needs to have very defined and consistent steps which are followed in a chronological order to provide that shipper with an uneventful move.
Consistency allows for measurement. How do you measure effectiveness if what you are measuring isn’t performed consistently? To tweak a best practice, you have to know exactly what works and what isn’t working. If what you’re trying to measure has little or no consistency within the process, that evaluation is impossible. Track what works and what doesn’t work and adjust the procedures accordingly.
This is where doing the same thing the same way to consistently achieve the same top-flight customer service time after time will ensure your moves never miss a beat, and your shippers are receiving the highest level of service possible.
Consistency is the hallmark that tells your customers what they can expect from you and your team while establishing your overall reputation.
