Make sure your mission makes it to the frontline

If you have gone to Walgreens recently, your cashier should have said to you, “Thank you … and be well.”

I remember the first time a cashier said this to me. I paused – quite amazed that the teen-aged cashier would say something so sophisticated to me – and I said, “Well, thank you very much!”

The next time I went to the store, the cashier – a different one from the previous time – told me to “Be well” as he handed me my bag. So then I figured it was just something that the store manager required employees to do. Regardless, I still thought it was a nice touch.

Then, I started hearing and reading more about Walgreens new campaign, which reflects the company’s mission to deliver products and services that improve the health and wellness of its customers. The cashiers saying “Be well” is a part of that — a fact that impressed me more than if a teenaged cashier thought to say it on her own.

Many times, companies forget their frontline – the people out there actually interacting with and serving the customers. So when a new campaign is launched in a store, for example, a customer may ask what the campaign means and the clerk will shrug and say, “I don’t know!” So, in five seconds, all the company’s efforts are out the door!

Walgreens’ inclusion of their frontline in their campaign makes me think they know the value of the frontline people and their role in making the company a success. I think all companies should take note of this important lesson.

Do you take care of your frontline? What are some things you can do to make sure they are included?