| Staff Appearance.
"Your employees are your company"
Our objective in this evolution will be to understand
the impact that personal appearance has on our relationships with
customers.
There are
countless studies that show a direct association between how a person
dresses, and how they feel and behave at work. The way a person dresses
has a direct effect on the way they interact with customers. "You are
what you wear"
If you doubt this...
In 1998, Dr. Jeffrey Magee, a psychologist, surveyed
500 companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms. Businesses
that changed from a suit and tie atmosphere, to business casual dress
codes reported...
-
Relaxed attitudes lead to relaxed
performance.
-
Increase in tardiness, absenteeism, and
early departures.
-
Increase in foul language and
inappropriate conversation.
-
Decrease in polite, mannerly behavior.
-
Decrease in productivity and overall
quality of work.
-
Decrease in commitment and company
loyalty.
What kind of image do you want to project? There are 3
types of dress codes.
- Professional
- Business Casual
- Uniform
Professional
Suits for women, Suits and ties for men. This is a bit extreme for a
service business like Rent to Own. Since most employees are required to
perform physical labor, don't even think about it.
Business Casual
More than 70% of US businesses have adopted "business
casual" as the norm. The problem is.....what is business casual?
In general, business casual is anything short of
"suit and tie". Most people will describe it as dress pants,
dress shirt, dress shoes.
Uniforms
The term "uniform" doesn't mean what it used to. Many
companies opt for this solution for consistency and ease of
administration. Uniform companies can supply quality clothing with a
consistent look at a reasonable price. A uniform dress code can also be a
simple a khaki pants, and a colored pull-over shirt with a company logo.
Casual dress, with limits, seems to be the best fit for
our industry, and the option chosen most often. Some large chains require
ties for everyone. And I must admit, it is an impressive sight.
Whichever option you choose, the key is consistency.
Writing a dress code for employees is not something that can be done by
committee. Lock yourself in a room and think about the image you want to
project. Balance the physical requirements of the job, with the desired
image.
TOP |
