Best way to make employees accountable for being late?

As the general manager, I have several VERY good sales people who are continuously late every single day,despite my best efforts they just appologize (sincerely) and say it won't happen again. Yet it does, and I dont want to lose them but I also cant have my business running wild like this. What is a good and fair way to curb the lateness??

you have to set some tough but fair rules, and stick to them...

where I work, you can be late a few times, then you get written up... a letter goes in your file (for performance review/raise time).... if you do it too much, you get a day or two off with no pay. Of course, I'm not in sales...

http://www.purescore.com/

what you think??????

My employer tracks lateness and unplanned absences on a rolling 12 month period. Any incident over one year old is wiped clean. Sick days in a row count as one incident: I get sick and miss three days would count once, not three times.

Here's what they track:
1-2 freebies----traffic or the stomach flu happens
3-5 documented talk with supervisor
6-9 documented talk with manager
10-documented talk with manager and HR
11-documented talk with manager, HR, controller
12 - kiss your job goodbye

11 warnings is sufficient to get your act together.

The thing is, you have to be absolutely consistent with applying this to everyone. No special breaks. With your situation, it may take firing someone to let them know this will no longer be tolerated.
At my company, attendance records are considered for all promotions, transfers, and job assignments. They consider it an indicator of your work ethic.

First of all does their being late affect their performance or the overall perfromance of the rest of the sales force? A very dear friend of mine was in the New Car Sales business for more than 30 years and did a phenomenal job at it, and finacially he was very well compensated for his work. The only glitch in the systerm was that *Roy, (Not his real name), was not an early riser, and most of the dealerships that he worked for over the years wanted the sales people in by 8:00 am on Mondays and for meetings & Saturdays for early openings, and 9:00 the rest of the week. (This was only new car sales - not used car sales - or service or body shop or parts). This was about an hour and a half too early for Roy.

So when he decided to change dealerships - for whatever reason, - usually he was "hired away", Part of his "Terms of employemnt" with his new employers was that he set his own hours - as he pleased, so long as his sales were in the top 5 % of the New Car Sales Team for any Given Month.

Management usually agreed to this - since it was performance based - and a win-win deal. He usually was asked to school the rest of the sale force - especialy the younger salesmen on some of the basic secrets of his success.

He always said he would agree to do so if management would agree to try some trial incentive programs, aimed at increasing sales, and "curing" some staff problems, (like chronic tardiness), in the bargain. A leery Management needed to hear what the ideas were,. . .

1. Flexible Hours. Instead of Everybody be here at 8:00 or 7:00, set the usual start time at 8:00 AM, but allow employees the freedom to start as early as 7:00Am or as late as 9:30 am,- the Flexabilty allowed for daycare and school drop offs, arranging for a last minute sitter if a child woke up sick, an early DR, Appointment, someone who overslept, - etc. Consequently, if they came in an hour early, - they could leave an hour early, and if they came in an hour late - they could leave an hour late. Of courseone employee was always "assigned" to be there early, and one assigned to "stay late" to lock up, and to serve any early or late customers.

2. Sales force should all be driving "New Demos" around as their company/personal cars as a means of advertizing the store's product. They should be driving around in the Companies newest and wildest models - in bright colors - you want people tonotice them - so they come in to look at them, and then look at what they might realistically buy.

3. Have a Mentoring Program. Each "New" salesman that starts out is assigned a veteran sales associate who will act as his / her counselor/mentor, to try to emsure their sucess in the business, by teaching them their tradecraft.

4. Rotation of Sales team members to serve customers, and how & when to approach potential buyers. This is the number 1 problem in the industry. How to be available to a potential client, - without being a vulture or a stalker, knowing when to be around, and when to not be around. This is the "Meat" of what Roy was hired for - aside from his ability to move cars off the lot.

5. Incentive Programs, Cash awards, Paid Vacations, Paid Golf Outings on Company time, Sales erson of the Month Plaque in main Lobby - gets Fridays off & $ 500.00 award.

6. Set up "Team Competitions" by random drawing establish 4 man teams. Teams will compete tjhru out the year to win points, to a final Christmas Competition. All teams will win prizes, in descending order from 1st place to last. Most of the competion will be community service orientated.

7. Punishment. Send out a Company Memo listing a number of infractions aand unacceptable behaviors which willnot be tolersated, and for which punative actions will be assessed against an individual, or an individual and his team. These are:

A. Theft of Company Property, under $1,000.00. Co. will call Police and press misdemeanor theft charges against the offending party..

B. Theft of Company Property, over $1,000.00. Co. will call Police and press Felony Grand larceny charges against the offending party.

C. Stealing a client away from another salesperson. Fine of $ 250.00 to individual, and $ 50.00 each to each of the rest of the team.

D. Abusing Sick time allowance, chronic tardiness, spending too much time off the lot during the work day - with no explaination of as to why, un-professional conduct towards or infront of a client. Fine of $ 250.00 to individual, and $ 50.00 each to each of the rest of the team.

E. Lying to clients, being abusive towards customers, not taking care of customers, swearing or otherwise not being professional in the presence of customers. Fine of $ 250.00 to individual, and $ 50.00 each to each of the rest of the team.

F. Setting up Charitable donations on behalf of the Dealership, with out prior Authorization and approval to do so. Fine of $ 250.00 to individual, and $ 50.00 each to each of the rest of the team.

G. Whatever else you want to add . . . .

I agree with the very first answer that you got here. You have to stop being the cool boss and start enforcing rules and use coercion when possible. Believe me when I say that the "very good sales people" believe that the rules do not apply to them because YOU believe they are "very good sales people". It will be too long of an essay to explain how tardiness may very well be costing your company TONs of money. Your perception of them being "very good sales people" may be wrong. Tardiness may also be attached to other bad behaviors that you may not see.

If I was the manager, I would enforce company rules and use coercion when possible. This has gotten out of hand and you need to take care of it. I would also mention to your employees that they are "very good sales people" and that they may be replaced by "outstanding sales people"

Check out the public radio article about Dov Seidman or listen (podcast) to a forum at the following link.

Business and Marketing Student with Management experience (10 years/managing large teams)

Good Luck.

In the beginning I always came early to work. Then I started becoming later and later. Actually when I came in early, I said to myself what's the point, nobody comes in that early and theres nothing much to do anyway. So I came in late, mostly cause I took my time to do chores and laundry or emails at home. I really hated getting marked for being late. But after awhile it didn't matter anymore. Well, some of my colleages did remind me or ask me why I'm always late. Maybe peer pressure from co-workers will motivate your staff to come in earlier. Actually, maybe sales people come in late because they don't really meet clients in the morning ... they are really fortunate to have a boss who cares like you ...

When I started my job, my boss said that we are a flexible organization; sometimes people need to come in late or leave a little early. That's OK if there's a good excuse. "by the way, there is only one item on the list of good excuses: a box of donuts under your arm." Anytime somebody is late (even only 1 or 2 minutes late), whether is due to a doctor's appointment, traffic, or just oversleeping the employee brings donuts, bagels, or whatever for the group. It's just a way to demonstrate respect for the team & it's goals.

The answer is always in the wallet. Give some cash or cool event tickets to the less talented ones who come in on time.

Very good sales people are hard to find. Where would you be without them?
The company may no longer need a GM. What do you think?

If they are late then they must pay for the time they are not at work, its only fair

Put the worst offender in charge of making sure people are at work on time. Make it their personal goal for the quarter. Tell them it will be the main focus of their review. Imply that their job depends on it. Add that they are to set up tracking and review and give them the power to do it.

You'll be amazed at how the problem will sort itself out.

Are these inside sales or outside sales? If outside sales, who really cares if they're late, as long as they are making sales goals.

If they're inside sales (in other words, customer come in), why don't you find a way to reward them for coming in? For example, every day someone comes in early, they can put their name in a hat for a monthly drawing. Those with the most names in the hat will have the best chance to win.

If they all depend on Public Transportation, then it can be helped. I know we could leave out a little earlier, even that does not matter much if you rely on Public Transportation, there is most days a problem on the subway system. Sometimes, on the bus service.

If you don't want to lose them, then you need to either open your business a little later, or do it yourself. I am sure they don't wake up saying, I am going to take my time I will get there, when I get there, or maybe they do. LOL

Well. just make sure that they stick to the targets.

if they are good sales people, hey let then come in at so and so time if they are pulling in alot of sales. like thousands.

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