John Timpson
Here are some edited fascinating facts from the world of Timpson’s Upside Down Management, but there are many more relating to how to treat staff:
Staff are actively encouraged to use their initiative and try new ideas. “If the ideas work, tell me. If they don’t work, just stop.”
Get rid of poor performing staff quickly.
A key internal training course is (as you might expect) Customer Care.
Most customers are a miserable bunch. Don’t just encourage staff to smile, it is their role to put a smile on the face of their customers.
No advertising – “our customers do that for us”
Delegate authority but NOT responsibility. “This is what most external people misunderstand.”
How to be a great boss = Listen + praise (praise 10 x more than you criticise).
Email has placed a premium on the hand written thank you letter (ideally with a hand written envelope and a stamp sent to their home address)
Avoid meetings. A waste of time.
Avoid excessive time spent budgeting.
Get out on the road to visit your shops and customers to get real-time information.
Comments
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They are the easy bits that should really take care of themselves but someone will always know a better way of doing things. Step forward Roland.0
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I heard this programme too. Very impressed by the bloke.0
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Didn't listen in, but I know they do great work on offender rehabilitation too. Many of their staff are ex-cons.
@Dippenhall - I see what you did there - key training course - v good.0 -
My local shoe repair place in new eltham used to have a sign up saying "cobbers to you all". But the boring new owners took it down.1
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Odd then that the two time I've used them the staff have been such miserable cunts13
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Might still be on parole though.0
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I thought it was a great programme too. great respect for a manager who treats his staff well and empowers them. Will definitely get shoes fixed at Timpsons in the future
Roland could learn a lot
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This has been my experience, also.Leroy Ambrose said:Odd then that the two time I've used them the staff have been such miserable cunts
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Perhaps he could even repair Roly's shoes for him.2
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He's done well since he retired from presenting Today.1
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I always use Timpsons at Bluewater for watch batteries & replacement straps and have always found the guys there brilliant.
They have a policy too of giving employees the day off when it's their birthday.0 -
All this - 100%. It's exactly how to manage a dispersed team and get great results.Dippenhall said:Just caught a snatch of Desert Island Discs with John Timpson the owner of the shoe repair/key cutter business and intrigued by what I heard so did some googling. If Roland thinks he has a vision of how to run a customer orientated business he should check out this.
Here are some edited fascinating facts from the world of Timpson’s Upside Down Management, but there are many more relating to how to treat staff:
Staff are actively encouraged to use their initiative and try new ideas. “If the ideas work, tell me. If they don’t work, just stop.”
Get rid of poor performing staff quickly.
A key internal training course is (as you might expect) Customer Care.
Most customers are a miserable bunch. Don’t just encourage staff to smile, it is their role to put a smile on the face of their customers.
No advertising – “our customers do that for us”
Delegate authority but NOT responsibility. “This is what most external people misunderstand.”
How to be a great boss = Listen + praise (praise 10 x more than you criticise).
Email has placed a premium on the hand written thank you letter (ideally with a hand written envelope and a stamp sent to their home address)
Avoid meetings. A waste of time.
Avoid excessive time spent budgeting.
Get out on the road to visit your shops and customers to get real-time information.
Forget all this US mumbo jumbo corporate management bullshit - it's simple just involve staff and support them even if it goes tit's up.
And as for management consultants........ nearly as bad as estate agents and 'employment' specialists.
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Are they Australian?Norman_Smith said:My local shoe repair place in new eltham used to have a sign up saying "cobbers to you all". But the boring new owners took it down.
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I'm sure this guy also offers trainee positions to Barnados kids or something like that - he sounds like a great example for other business owners...not least the clowns we currently have mismanaging our club.1
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A barnados boy could do a better job than our CEO1
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Cobblers to thatAddickted said:
Are they Australian?Norman_Smith said:My local shoe repair place in new eltham used to have a sign up saying "cobbers to you all". But the boring new owners took it down.
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The Timpson family are pretty much all-round good eggs.
They've also got a history of fostering & adopting kids alongside their birth children and continue to support training (throught the Timpson Foundation) for post-adoption parents to help dealing with the plethora of issues an adopted kid brings with them (as an adopter, I've been on one of the courses they funded).
Also, Timpson's son is a Tory MP, but given his background growing up with kids from the care system, Cameron has actually done something right & put him in charge of reviewing the whole adoption process and (lack of) post adoption support - he's doing some good work.
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Me too.seth plum said:I heard this programme too. Very impressed by the bloke.
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Who Roly or the staff a Timpsons?Dippenhall said:Might still be on parole though.
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So that's where Reza's boots went - glad you found them. He can play after all tomorrow now.guinnessaddick said:happyvalley said:Perhaps he could even repair Roly's shoes for him.
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Is there anywhere I can watch or listen to his interview please0
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iPlayer Radiocafcledbury said:Is there anywhere I can watch or listen to his interview please
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Is John a Charlton fan?0
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Didn't they also offer to dry clean for free your suit if you were unemployed and had an interview. I like their priorities1
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Thanks mate0
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If Timpson really wanted to do a good turn, he'd open a branch in Belgium and offer free shoe repairs to multi-millionaires. #ducttapeisbloodyexpensive1
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I should have said, or the BBC website -- Radio 4.cafcledbury said:Thanks mate
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If only they could supply keys that don't bend in the lock.0
