Professional golfers or tennis players wouldn’t think of showing up for a tournament without their “A” game. Even amateurs strive to play on the “A” team with those players who have excellent skills. Those are the people they can learn from in order to get their game to the “A” level.
Employers use their “A” team players as mentors and trainers for customer service reps. They pair them up with new employees or those who need some retraining in the hope the “A” players will bring them up to their level. Employees like to feel they are on the “A” team—that elite group of skilled employees who can be relied on to get the job done.
Companies would like to hire an “A” customer service team member every time, but for a lot of reasons, they settle for “B” or “C” players just to get a position filled. This may get a warm body in a desk answering customer calls to solve an immediate problem. But according to an Inc. Magazine article, “The Deadly Cost of a “B” Player,” it can have a devastating effect on the rest of the customer service team.
“B” players do an OK job. They show up and do their part, which isn’t a bad thing. The problem is they don’t have any interest in doing the job any better. They aren’t thinkers or planners. They don’t look at what they do and try to (or want to) do it better, faster or cheaper. They don’t exceed expectations or seek to delight a customer. They just want to get to the next call.
When you mix “A” players with “B” players, the “A” players can feel like they’re carrying the larger share of the work and responsibility. The problem isn’t so much the “B” players who are doing their job. It’s that “A” players are achievers who naturally strive to do more and can’t figure out why everyone wouldn’t want to do the same.
By the same token, “B” players don’t want to look like they’re not working hard and can try to undermine or sabotage the “A” players to bring them down to their level. This can cause a drop in morale for everyone.
There’s a greater danger in hiring “B” players, the article warns. It’s when “B” players become supervisors or managers by default. They may hire more “B” players, who will make “B” level effort the new company standard, effecting overall productivity. “B” managers don’t have the charismatic leadership or innovative thinking that make “A” managers true leaders.
What happens when “A” players work for “B” managers? They either take over the management job or they leave, frustrated and discouraged. This causes a talent drain on the company. Word gets around, and it may be harder for a company with a reputation as a “B” team to hire on “A” players.
What if you’ve got a lot of “B” players? You need to mentor them and train them so they can up their game. Use your “A” customer service reps as mentors, regardless of age or experience. Sometimes the energy and enthusiasm of a younger employee is just what an older, more senior employee needs to rekindle the flame. If not, your “A” players may decide to “take it on the road” or decide to play for your competition.
Photo Source: Freedigitalphotos.net
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