PowerPoint Presentation
WIL Project
COM 1030
What is UFA?
“UFA is a member-owned agricultural co-operative dedicated to the prosperity of Alberta’s rural communities. It’s also an extensive farm and ranch supply operation and petroleum distribution network.”
(UFA, 2024)
UFA
Open since 1935, UFA is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta
UFA operates 34 ranch supply stores in Alberta and over 110 fuel stations in Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan (2019 count)
Our Industry Partner: Olds UFA Farm and Ranch Supply Store
Manager - Clinton Bezan
Managed Olds UFA for past 3 years
Previously managed Eckville Co-op Agro for 5 years
19 years in the oil patch
Our Industry Partner: Olds UFA Farm and Ranch Supply Store
Sells many farm supply items, such as:
Seed and fertilize
Cattle handling equipment
Fence posts
Lumbe
Hardware
Animal health supplies
Space Heaters
What is the main goal of UFA?
to effectively meet customer needs and improve customer satisfaction
- communication is key in order to meet the needs of the custome
Stats:
-14.5 million in sales annually
-14 year round staff
-6 extra seasonal staff
UFA Sales Cycle - Every Customer Who Enters the Store
Greet the customer: use their name if you know it!
Discover the “why” by asking an open ended question
Take customer to appropriate aisle and point out the products that meet their needs.
Help the customer to choose the right products by outlining the uses and features of each product.
Purpose: Excellent customer experience. You gain the confidence of the customer so UFA becomes a part of their solution.
Suggest other associated products that the customer might also need.
Finalize the deal - “Can I take these to the till for you?”
Ask about one more final add on product - “Did you need any windshield washer fluid?”
Ask customer to fill out satisfaction survey
Employee Issues
- every business experiences challenges with staff
- here are a few staffing issues for us to work on solutions for
Photo Source: Ewan Nicholson, 2018
1. Mystery Shoppe
Scenario: an unknown person comes into the store pretending to be a customer, but they have actually been sent by the Head Office to evaluate the customer experience at the store.
The mystery shopper grades how many steps of the sales cycle have been done properly and how many steps were skipped.
If the sales team receive poor reviews from the mystery shoppers, they will be in trouble with their boss. The manager will also be in trouble with Head Office (his/ her boss).
Mystery Shopper - What Happened?
Staff do not do well on the initial mystery shops, including scores ranging from 70-80%
Manager approaches staff and tells them that they have to do bette
Staff respond by telling manager that he’s being too hard on them
Staff are annoyed and make sure that the manager knows it
Scores drop to 60,62, and 30%
Mystery Shopper Mayhem - What Happened?
Manager addresses the ongoing decline in customer service with staff
He goes through each of the steps of the sales cycle again, one by one
The next person who is graded by the mystery shopper receives 94%
Outcome?
It took 8 months to work with staff to get on board with the mystery shopper evaluations
In 2024, both mystery shoppers have graded the employees 90%
Summary of Staff Behaviour - Mystery Shoppe
- Not following the Sales Cycle
Poor attitude towards feedback and requirement to do better from boss
Staff vocalize displeasure about sales cycle evaluation
Behaviours do not improve, get worse
-
Management
Staff cannot complete their jobs well if they don’t know the fundamental skills.
A great manager asks:
What skills do my employees need to do well?
Of those skills, which are my employees lacking?
How can I teach my employees the skills that they don’t have?
2. New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Head Office decides that in April, the store needs employees to be present for longer hours to ensure a great customer experience during the busy season.
The store is still open the same hours (8:00 am-6:00 pm)
Staff will be scheduled from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm
This ensures that staff has time to clean and stock shelves while the store is closed
The staff can focus on customers during the hours they are open
Amount of hours per staff member hasn’t changed, just theshift times, as seasonal staff are added
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Staff are furious!
They don’t want to come earlie
They don’t want to work later
Many complaints and pushback from staff
Negativity spreads through the store
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
In January, sales start to slow down
Head Office decides that hours must be reduced
Full-time staff hours stay the same
Part-time staff are reduced to 7 hours/ day, 4 days/ week.
This is enough hours to keep their benefits
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- Staff are annoyed
Manager tries to explain the logic
Less Sales = Less Money = Less Hours
- Some staff won’t move on and continously complain
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Negativity spreads and customers and outsiders start to notice
Employee offends safety auditor with negativity
Customers try to avoid going inside the store to avoid the toxic and negative environment
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Head office sends out an online course that must be completed by staff to help them to understand the new hours and what the expectations are
Senior staff member refuses to complete the online training
“You’re only making us do this course so that if we don’t follow the SOP. we will get fired!” - staff
New Hours: Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Manager tells them they must complete the course, and gives them the reasoning
more negativity and pushback
many staff are refusing to complete the online training
Summary of Staff Behaviours - New Hours
Ongoing complaining
Work environment becomes negative to where customers avoid coming in
Auditor is offended by staff comments
Refusal to complete SOP online course
Belligerence
Refusal to complete course spreads to other staff
Discipline Process
Monthly One-on-One Meetings
The manager and the employee sit down to discuss what’s going well, and what areas the employee could improve upon
Includes an employee action plan and a plan for how the manager can help the employee to improve
Discipline Process
Step One: Letter of Expectation
After a discussion has been had (1 to 1 meeting), if there is no improvement, a Letter of Expectation is written and served
This letter outlines what the employee is doing wrong as well as what the expectations are for that employee
This serves as “strike one” in the termination process
Discipline Process
Step Two: Written Warning
After the Letter of Expectation has been sent, and another one-on-one meeting has been had, there are still issues with this staff member
A Written Warning letter outlines the dates of the discussions that have happened, as well as the date of the Letter of Expectation. The letter also identifies what the employee is not doing properly.
It is stated that this is a formal warning, and that further issues could result in suspension or termination.
This serves as “strike two” in the termination process.
Discipline Process
Step Three: Final Written Warning
After the Letter of Expectation has been sent, another one-on-one meeting has occu
ed, and a Written Warning is sent, there are still issues with this staff member.
The Final Written Warning letter outlines the dates of the discussions that have happened, as well as the date of the Letter of Expectation. The letter also identifies what the employee is not doing properly.
It is stated that this is a final warning, further issues could result in termination.
This serves as “strike three” in the termination process.
Discipline Process
Step Four: Termination
After the first three steps have been completed, and documented, the staff member is continuing to cause issues.
This staff member can now be terminated with cause and without severance.
What’s Severance?
Source: Government of Canada, 2024
Source: Government of Canada, 2024
Source: Government of Canada, 2024
Source: Government of Canada, 2024
Progressive Discipline
The Government of Canada lays out very clearly what the steps are in order to terminate an employee with just cause, as linked above.
COM 1030 WIL Project #1 - Letter of Expectation
Due: Monday, March 11 at midnight
Weight (5%)
Instructions:
Using one of the scenarios as set out by Clinton on March 5, students will complete a Letter of Expectation to the employee.
The letter should include:
· The purpose of the letter (why are you writing)
· A paragraph or list describing the employee’s unacceptable behaviour, in detail
· A paragraph or list describing the expectations for employee improvement
· A note to that further misconduct will result in further disciplinary action
· Your plan as the manager to support the employee to improve
Sample Structure
Date:
Dear (Employee Name),
The purpose of this letter is to discuss…..
The performance objectives that you are cu
ently not meeting are:
· Here you will list the problems
· Here you will list the problems
Below are the company expectations that must occur immediately:
· Here you will list what you want the employee to do
· Here you will list what you want the employee to do
Here you should include something to the effect of “if we don’t see improvements, there will be further disciplinary action.”
Here you should include a plan of how you can assist the employee to make the necessary changes. For example “I will continue to work with you to enable your success” or “I’m available to discuss questions or concerns as they may arise.”
Letter of Expectation Marking Ru
ic
Excellent (4)
Proficient (3)
Developing (2)
Insufficient (1)
Content (X3)
Letter should include:
The cu
ent unacceptable behaviour of the staff member.
The expectations for improvement for the employee.
A plan of how you can support the employee’s improvement.
Student has created a comprehensive and detailed lette
Student has created a general lette
Student has created a vague lette
Student has not created a sufficient lette
Communication and Professionalism
Student has maintained a professional tone throughout.
All language has been chosen carefully to convey an accurate message.
Student has maintained an appropriate tone throughout.
Most language has been chosen carefully with to convey an accurate message.
Student’s tone often borders on unprofessional
Language has not been carefully chosen.
Student’s tone is unprofessional
Grammar, Spelling, etc.
Writing is free of grammatical e
ors
Writing is mostly free of grammatical e
ors
Writing has several grammatical e
ors
Writing has frequent grammatical e
ors
Total: 20 Marks