Manager doesn’t want to punish close employee

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a customer service manager at a retail store, and I have been receiving complaints from customers about one of my employees being slow and unhelpful. The challenging part is that this employee is close to me and is known for her kind nature. I have provided feedback and coaching to improve her customer service skills, and I see her working hard and trying, but the complaints persist. This is impacting the store’s reputation. Normally I would need to submit a report, but I’m contemplating whether to do so in this situation. Is it more ethical to report or be loyal to my people? — Kind but Slow DEAR KIND BUT SLOW: I once had an employee who was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. He also had a magnetic personality that attracted people to him and instantly made people like him. Unfortunately, he was slow at many tasks, and it could be frustrating to wait for things to be completed or to be finished well. I talked to him about this and encouraged him to work harder at task management and completion so that his winning personality would be matched by his excellent job performance rather than being the reason people gave him a pass. It took time, but with tremendous effort, he improved. Your friend needs ongoing coaching. She needs a cheerleader to help improve her skills. She may also need to have a shift in responsibilities that takes her away from the customers. Is there anything else she can do that is essential? If so, consider that rather than reporting her or letting her go.