Board members and the board as a whole are brand ambassadors for the co-op.

Even though board members are elected by the co-op’s members, how often do they interact personally with owners, shoppers, and future owners? For many board members, the answer is, “Not often enough.” Providing basic customer service training to board members is a simple way to increase the quality and frequency of those interactions.

Boards of directors and board members crave owner engagement and frequently want to unlock the “secret” to more robust interaction with the membership. But what if it’s simpler than that? What if this owner engagement challenge is largely straightforward: offer basic knowledge, active listening and acknowledgment, and amiability?

Brand builders

Why would board members need customer service training? After all, the board of directors governs the co-op, and it generally entrusts the day-to-day details of running the business to the general manager and staff.

Co-op owners trust and elect board representatives who respect them, empathize with them, and act with professionalism. Board members, for their part, should be clear on the expansive nature of their role and use that awareness to add value to the cooperative. Board members and the board as a whole are, whether they know it or not, brand ambassadors: they represent and embody their co-op and the cooperative model and its principles and values.

Directors’ behavior, their interactions, and their rapport with their constituents all reflect on the co-op’s brand and convey the co-op’s spirit and culture. In some ways, board members are akin to guerrilla marketers who hand out samples on the street, connecting with customers by embodying the brand.

Great brands understand the value of long-term relationships over short-term sales goals, and the board of directors embodies those relationships. There can be a significant benefit to a co-op that takes time to cultivate its directors as effective brand builders.

This visible role transcends and complements the role of the board and its directors in the cooperative. When in the board room, board members must listen, learn, and deliberate with care and attention. When outside the board room, board members should represent the co-op and its brand with the same care and attention.

Representing the board

Even if a board member doesn’t agree with something that’s happening at the co-op, or would prefer to see one detail or another handled differently, their responsibility extends past the boardroom to encompass the whole co-op. Sometimes board members may think that they can speak as “just a member.” But the reality is that the director’s hat is not something that one can take off. It is valuable for directors to review the board’s code of conduct and other board process policies and agreements, and to discuss as a group and with the general manager how collectively and individually they will uphold this responsibility to represent the board.

The role of the board of directors can be somewhat opaque to many co-op members. When someone approaches a board member, they may simply need a short interaction that has nothing to do with the director’s role. Remember that what people generally need from an interaction is to feel that they have been heard. So, listening and communicating that one has heard someone is the basis of all successful interactions. Use reflective listening when approached by a customer or co-op owner: “I hear you saying … Is that right?”

Board members can also help by taking responsibility for getting answers to questions that are more difficult or challenging. Try to listen, acknowledge, and appreciate. If a follow-up is needed, use pre-established protocols to bring in the manager and the board president—helping to make sure the right people give the issue the right level of attention.

If there is something of interest to many people in the community or co-op, with many similar requests or questions, consider opening up an online member forum via Zoom. Have the right people there to listen.

Sample FAQs

Here are examples of frequently asked questions that board members might receive, with possible responses as a starting place.

Q: What does the co-op’s board actually do?

A: The board is responsible for leading the strategic vision or long-term vision at the co-op. The board checks in with the general manager on a regular basis to make sure that its expectations are being met. And, as on other boards, co-op directors serve on committees, participate in training, and when needed help raise capital. You can learn more by coming to a board meeting.

Q: Why aren’t our workers getting paid a living wage?

A: That’s a good question. Our wage scale is on par / nearly on par with the local living wage rate, and while I can’t be sure, I understand that it’s on par with other similar businesses in the area. Also, our co-op provides great staff benefits that the others probably don’t. What’s specifically on your mind, though? [Answer given, you hope.] Thank you for sharing that. I’ll pass it along to the right person.

Q: Why are prices so high?

A: I appreciate your asking that question. We pay benefits and fair wages to our employees, and we also pay our producers and farmers a fair price. Remember, too, that organic products have a high price point in general because of the higher quality standards those producers have to meet. These values are important to us as an organization, and we make these choices in an industry with only a 1–3 percent profit margin.

Q: I work for a nonprofit organization, and we have an event coming up. Can the co-op provide a sponsorship or a donation?

A: Donations and sponsorships are handled by store staff. I’ll check to see who the best contact for you would be. / That person is xx. / You can fill out a donation request form on our website.

Q: Why don’t we carry [insert your favorite product]?

A: I’m not sure. I can help connect you with someone in that department, who may know more. You are welcome to fill out a product request form available in the store and on our website, and our operations folks will look into it. Our merchandising standards are posted on our website and in the store.

Customer service tips for board members

By learning some basic techniques, board members can help improve the shopper experience. And in doing so, board members can connect with owners—as fellow shoppers.

The 10:4 rule: Acknowledge the shopper with eye contact when within ten feet. At four feet, give a verbal greeting.

Where do I find? Great service means walking the shopper to the product they are looking for. If you don’t know where it is yourself, walk them to someone who can help. Don’t simply give them directions or leave them alone (unless they ask for that!).

Read body language. Does the shopper avoid eye contact or have a closed-off body stance? If so, give them some space; they may not wish to be approached.

Keep it light and personal. “Selling” co-op ownership should be an organic thing on the store floor. Ideally, the shopper loves the shopping experience, is exposed to discounts and values messaging, and wants to join. Sometimes they ask about membership or, “What’s a co-op?” Avoid the depth and details! Think back to when you first became engaged. Be empathetic with someone who may simply love the co-op as a great store that they can count on for good products.

Know the benefits. In order to talk about the co-op, you need to know the basics and the everyday things which members and potential members utilize. Know the benefits of ownership, inside and out. What kinds of discounts and services are available? These are generally listed on the website, and many times there is a rack card or cheat sheet at the front end.

Know the back of the house. Ask the marketing or HR staff for a short list of who does what at the co-op, so that when someone asks you about donations, tabling, or product requests (things that owners sometimes want to punt to the board), you know where to direct them.

Stay tuned. Even if you’re not a social media person, you’re still an envoy of the co-op and need to know what’s happening on the marketing front. Check in on its social feeds so you know about specials, outreach events, and other fun stuff being promoted. Make sure you are subscribed to any e-news. This also provides good chit-chat fodder in the aisles. Enjoy your role as a brand builder and representative of what the co-op stands for and where it’s headed!