How To Use An Employee Suggestion Box

One excellent way that will help keep your employees motivated and help gather great ideas on improving your business is to use an employees’ suggestion box. It’s no surprise that many of the answers to the customer service problems you face in your business can come from your employees. In many of the businesses that we surveyed that had a suggestion box, the biggest response showed it was seldom used. It’s probable that the suggestion box was not given enough support by management, resulting in an attitude of “Why bother?” One company reported outstanding success with their sugges¬tion box. This organization used a “Quality Service Committee” approach. The way it worked was that a representative took the suggestions to the committee each month. The person who made the suggestion remained anonymous. Each suggestion made was given careful consideration by the committee. If it was a good one, it was implemented. The important thing to remember is to make sure that all employee suggestions are responded to and the best ones implemented. In some companies, rewards are given to the people who made the suggestions that are used. The reward could be something quite simple, such as mentioning their name at the next meeting and giving them a certificate of appreciation or perhaps a gift certificate to a local restaurant or a popular retail store. It’s important to let them know you appreciate their willingness to offer their suggestions. It’s a real de-motivator for any employee to have a carefully constructed suggestion ignored by management. Remember, if all suggestions are acknowledged, it will positively reinforce the idea of giving suggestions. One note of caution: never openly criticize any suggestion offered. That type of action will only discourage others from contributing their ideas. In one organi¬zation, the newly instituted suggestion box was opened at the monthly employees’ meeting. The manager went through the suggestions and read them aloud. He openly criticized the ones he didn’t like, often making the comment, “Hmmmph! That will never work.” Curiously, after that meeting, the employees never bothered to use the suggestion box again. 1. Does your company now use an employee suggestion box? 2. Where would be a good place to put it? 3. When would be the best time to review the suggestions? 4. What kind of rewards would you give to the employees who suggest the ideas that are used? 5. How would you acknowledge the employee who made sugges¬tions that were not used? Content for this article provided by Tom Borg