The Impact of Internal & External Reward Programs
Notes From Hobaica: We originally wrote this 4-part series to encourage and educate other local business owners on the value of building a positive company culture. We share this with you, our customers, because you ultimately benefit from the community involvement, teamwork, personal growth & industry expertise of our exceptional team of technicians and office staff. Find part one here.
Regardless of the career path you choose, you hope to find a company that recognizes your achievements, offers feedback and helps you learn and grow in your career. As a customer, that type of organization is exactly what you hope to find, however, it’s from a slightly different angle. Customers are specifically looking for a quality service provided at a reasonable cost, also referred to as Value. And we believe value can only be achieved if the company puts their team’s needs first.
Most customers do not consciously consider the treatment of the employees when they’re in need of an on-demand service such as HVAC; however, the satisfaction of the customer is without a doubt directly related to the satisfaction of the employee. Without employees willing to embody your company mission, exemplify your core values, and represent your company the way you expect, then your business will not survive during hard times and off-seasons, year after year after year.
In other words, if you hire motivated, responsible employees, treat them with respect and foster a passion for providing your (their) customers with high quality services, then you will in turn provide high quality service to your customers. If you do not expect a certain level of responsibility from those you employ and/or give them the recognition they deserve when they do represent your company the way you expect, then your customers will ultimately suffer.
At Hobaica we provide incentive programs for those associated with our company on both an internal and external level. That way, our employees are appreciated, happy and building our brand internally and our customers are spreading the word about our superior customer service externally. Learn more below about the specific programs we instituted at Hobaica Services to glean some ideas and better understand their value.
External Incentive Programs: Our Customers
Our customers deserve the best and if they receive the very best, they in turn are our best advocates.
$50 Referral Bonus: When a customer shares their Hobaica experience with a family member, friend, neighbor or acquaintance, Hobaica will reward their customer with a $50 Referral Bonus for any service with a minimum $200 purchase or if we replace the HVAC system.
Yard Sign Contest: Upon completion of each job, our team member quickly explains the concept of the Yard Sign Contest to the satisfied customer. Each customer that allows us to place our Hobaica Yard Sign in their yard for a minimum of 30 days, will be entered into our Quarterly Cruise Voucher For Two Drawing.
On-line Review Contest: Every customer that gives us a 5 star review on Google, Facebook, NearbyNow, Yelp, BBB or Angies List will be entered into our Quarterly Cruise Voucher For Two Drawing.
Internal Incentive Programs: Our Employees
Our team is #1. Contrary to popular belief that customers are #1, we believe that our team is what will make or break our company, so we make sure our team members regularly know that they are truly appreciated!
Hobaica Bucks: Hobaica Bucks are rewards of appreciation given out to our team members that exemplify our Core Values and participate during our Bi-Monthly Team Meetings. Team members accrue Hobaica Bucks through a variety of avenues each month, many of which are listed below. Hobaica Bucks can be cashed in for their choice of over 150 gift cards for just about anything they could ever think of. We usually give out between $100 and $300 in Hobaica Bucks during every company meeting, thus every team member has significant opportunities to rack them up.
Hobaica Wheel of Fortune: The Hobaica Wheel of Fortune and is just one of the fun ways that team members can accrue Hobaica Bucks. Spins are given based on a team member’s involvement in our meetings, sharing personal experiences related to our company core values, promise or mission. Prizes on the wheel include: $5 to $50 in Hobaica Bucks, or Double Spin.
Employee of the Month: During the first team meeting for the month, we recognize our Employee of the Month. The employee of the month award is based on peer nomination through Hobaica Recognition Cards for a team member that truly went above and beyond with team support, living by our mantra…do whatever it takes or serving our customers by our promise…we do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
The winner receives team recognition, a framed certificate, a star pin and spin on Hobaica Wheel of Fortune. Once awarded employee of the month, they are in the running for employee of the year where they will be awarded 500 vacation points towards a vacation of their choice and be promoted as employee of the year for the entire following year.
Raving Fan Champ: During the 2nd meeting for the month, we highlight 10-12 positive reviews we have received during the previous month. We award our “Raving Fan Champ” with a team recognition, a framed certificate, star pin and spin on the Hobaica Wheel of Fortune. Winner of this honor is based on the quality and quantity of reviews completed. The monthly winners are all in the running for Raving fan Champ of the Year who will receive $500 in Hobaica Bucks and reigning champ for the following year. All team members with a minimum of 100 Raving Fans by year end are entered into a premier group, the Hobaica 100 Club, and receive 100 Hobaica Bucks.
Culture Ball: The “Culture Challenge” is a team exercise where we share culture related experiences with our team. When a team member catches our culture ball, they are challenged to come up with and share one way that they have exemplified the core value that their Right Thumb landed on. A successful share voted by our team awards the individual with a spin on the Hobaica Wheel of Fortune.
Vacation Incentive Program: Customers aren’t the only ones that win cruises at Hobaica Services! Our team members earn their own vacations by gaining 5 star reviews from our customers. They accumulate vacation points that can be cashed in for all expense paid vacations of their choice for the employee and their family. The points can’t be exchanged for cash as they must be applied towards a vacation in building family memorable experiences.
Creating a Positive Memorable Experience
Each team member at Hobaica Services has a $25 allowance to use towards creating a positive memorable experience with each customer. The allowance can be spent on anything from a cup of coffee, cookies, flowers, a plant, or just about anything they think may be appropriate to make our customer’s day. It is up to the team member to decide how the funds are used for, but they’ll need to be prepared to share the Positive Memorable Experience with the rest of the team in order to take a spin on the Hobaica Wheel of Fortune.
In addition to going above and beyond for our customers and treating our team with respect and appreciation, incorporating continuous opportunities/ incentives like those mentioned above, will consistently motivate your team to take pride in their work and put their best foot forward each and every day. Likewise, external incentive programs that will motivate your customer base to share their positive memorable experience, building your brand awareness and trust – two pillars of a successful online marketing campaign – are also key to growing your business & contributing to your community through a Positive Company Culture.
If you’re interested in learning more about the quality services that we provide here at Hobaica Services, or you wish to inquire about a career, give us a call today at (760) 360-2202.
