The primary responsibility of the assistant manager, as indicated in the title, is to aid the manager in completion of his duties. The specific duties can range greatly by industry. If the manager supervises production and employees while reporting to upper management, the assistant manager often works more closely with the line employees and customers. The assistant manager, therefore, can often become more involved in human resources and customer satisfaction. Having an extra set of eyes to monitor production and employees allows the manager to have a better understanding of floor needs as well as additional time to plan strategic growth and communicate with upper management.
Assistant managers may also be appointed to perform certain duties normally performed by the manager. Depositing earnings into a bank account, in the case of retail establishments, is one such example of how the assistant manager can aid the manager. This position may also be the first managerial position that disgruntled customers reach in the customer service process. This task alleviates some of the responsibilities from the manager, while ensuring that the customer is heard and treated with respect.
The assistant manager position is often considered a training position to prepare future managers by having them aid and learn from current managers. A manager-in-training program helps ensure that new managers will have an understanding of their responsibilities as well as adequate on-site experience. Manager-in -raining programs may train for positions within that establishment or at an alternative branch. Restaurant franchises, for example, often train assistant managers at alternate locations so they can obtain adequate experience without losing authority over their employees.
Depending on the business’ customer service relationship management strategy, the assistant manager may also be required to be on the front line at all times. An assistant retail store manager, for example, can have the responsibility of interacting with customers and assessing their satisfaction as they are served. This can communicate a dedication to customer service to clients as well as provide upper management with quick access to problems to be addressed on the front line.
Occasionally, assistant managers may take on some human resource responsibilities. This can include dispute resolution and occasional hiring and firing practices. Human resources practices have certain legal ramifications, however, so the assistant manager should be trained in local human resource requirements before completing these tasks. For this reason, not all organizations allocate these responsibilities directly to the assistant managers.
