Getting the Most from Your RSR Daily Check-ins

Is this familiar to you today? Route Representatives arrive at work, send their problems to their manager to handle, load their truck and walk out the door.

No matter if you call it a daily check-in, cash out, end of day process or debriefing, it is imperative to touch base with your Route Reps daily. You most likely have some type of quick conversation with your RSR but are you leveraging the opportunity to continually improve their level of success. Your Route Reps are the boots on the ground having face-to-face interaction with your customers and it is important to download both the positives and the challenges of their routes.

Why daily check-ins are important:
Checking in on a daily basis allows the manager to have their finger on the pulse of what is happening on the streets with the routes. In turn, a daily check-in should provide Route Reps the affirmation they desire along with coaching, guidance and feedback. The recognition offered by a dedicated daily check-in will elevate the value that employees bring. Current status of this at your organization could range from no meeting at all, a simple cash audit or an all too brief meeting. The content of those meetings should be evaluated and most likely restructured to derive the upmost value and benefit.

What needs to be covered in a daily check-in?
Conversation in your daily check-ins should be based on customer interaction, feedback and key performance measures (KPMs). Managers should focus on being a coach and receive highlights on what went well during that day and what were the challenges for each Route Rep.

Daily check-ins with employees are all about coaching. The focus should be on teaching not telling. The first step in teaching (and providing strong leadership) is to be a good listener. A good rule of thumb is that 80% of the talking should be done by the Route Rep and only 20% by the manager.

A successful check-in would have the Route Rep leading the meeting with a presentation about their day. This should not turn into a download session with a litany of problems being presented for the manager to solve. Instead, Route Reps should be prepared to talk not only about the obstacles they are facing but should focus on their recommended solutions. Route Reps need to be coached that any time they have an issue to present to their manager, they should come prepared with potential recommendations for how to solve the issue.

If the RSR is struggling with how to deal with a conflict, it is the manager’s role to guide the Route Rep to a solution without telling the Route Rep exactly what to do. The goal is to train your Route Reps to think for themselves while constantly striving to improve their customer relationships. In most organizations, 10% of your team is probably already doing a great job and the bulk of their daily check-in time will be spent on affirmation or discussing how they can provide leadership to other RSRs.

Most likely, about 80% of your Route Reps need more guidance and need to be taught how to solve problems on their own and motivate themselves. The 80/20 rule applies here: 80% of your time should be spent on these people so they will go from doing a good job to a great job.

On average, about 10% of Route Reps tend to be weak and can be divided into two groups. Some of those weaker Reps have the will but lack the skill and only require and deserve additional time and attention. The other part of this group may have the skills but lack the will. Don’t waste time on these reps that aren’t making the grade and instead, search for replacements for them. Your organization should adjust from being a “push” organization to a “pull organization”. Pull employees where you want them to go and spend time on those who have true potential and desire to achieve a higher level.

Structure of daily check-ins:
For a check-in to be most beneficial, it should be held in a private office or enclosed area. When a daily check-in begins, the Route Rep should start by talking about key interactions with customers that occurred that day – positive conversations, new products, changes, etc. Then the conversation should turn to any prospective obstacles and the RSR’s recommendations on resolutions. Once the RSR has presented this information, the manager should coach and provide feedback on their performance.

The last portion of the daily check-in should focus on Key Performance Measures or KPMs. As a manager, you should have a list of important metrics that are broken down by month, week and day so that you can easily track the progress of your employees and will be able to more easily notice any problems that are impeding the results. We recommend posting these in a visible place such as on a white board where everyone in the department can see. This will encourage RSRs (who should be identified by name, not just route numbers) to make sure their numbers are strong.

Summary:
Having a daily check-in is an important aspect of managing the service department. Route Reps should lead the meeting and present solutions, allowing the manager to focus on coaching and leadership. KPMs should be tracked and noted for all to see. Do not make the mistake of being an auditor and just run through a check-list. A check-in should be engaging and collaborative and leave the Route Rep feeling empowered and motivated to improve customer relationships.

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