Older staff 'improving customer service'
According to new research, fast food giant McDonald's customer service has improved, and it is down to older employees.
Research from Lancaster University Management School found that customer satisfaction was 20 per cent higher in those restaurants that employ staff over 60.
The study, which looked at 400 McDonald's restaurants across the UK, gives an encouraging reminder to older workers, who are currently facing difficulties finding employment, that they can still play an important role in the workplace.
McDonald's restaurant managers said that older workers connected well with customers and were willing to make an extra effort to provide better customer service.
Rachel Krys, campaign director of the Employers Forum on Age, welcomed the report and said that a major change in the way staff are managed was on the horizon due to the rapidly ageing population, and management skills would have to change.
"Many people make a good contribution at work and only short-sighted organisations would risk removing talented people just because a milestone birthday is approaching," she said.
Of those surveyed, 44 per cent believed later life workers brought mentoring skills to the workplace, helping younger colleagues develop and mature.
Are older workers written off too easily? How does your company deal with the age issue?
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Comments
I doubt this is a surprise. I see many older workers in my supermarkets and their level of customer service is frequently higher. Given a potential retirement age of 70 there need to be many more jobs open to older people.
My organisation is about to undertake a project which focuses on encouraging employers to recruit older workers, working with employers to review learning and development for older workers (removing the invisible line that separates valued worker and retirement plan and equally imnportantly, working with older workers to address their perceptions of age and employment and encourage personal succession planning beyond pension.
Here's a few questions to consider:
Are older people more keen to have their job (whatever level of work it is)?
Are older people more likely to be part time and therefore more easily able to motivate themselves for the shorter period for which they work?
Are older people just more used to working hard all day?
If they are long serving employees is it that older people just know their way round the system better?
Hi James - this view is also supported by research carried out into the different generations i.e. Veterans came out particularly strong on Customer Service - the CIPD, with Penna, produced a good paper on this - 'Gen Up How the four generations work,. Whilst the Veterans may be more naturally inclined towards good customer service, for my part I believe any generation can give excellent customer service with the right guidance and coaching.
Experienced employees may care more about customers and the level of service they should receive as they know better what to expect for themselves. They probably also understand that it is a good way to keep customers even if the company does not offer the most competitive price.