Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Do what I say, not what I do.” Whereas the correct version is, “Do what I do, not what I say.” This applies to lots of things in life, especially if you have kids, but especially to our businesses and organizations.
In talking to business leaders (primarily CEOs/Presidents/Business Owners), none of them ever tell me they don’t think the customer is important. In fact, all will say how “important” the customer is to them…REALLY? I disagree…based on the simple fact that most subscribe to the first phrase, “Do what I say, Not what I Do.” They can’t really feel their customers are that important because they operate in a different way from what they tell their customers. Here are some simple questions to test whether you have and organization that is truly all about the customer or not.
How many have their Business Strategy and operations organized around the customer? Very few. How many have changed their business processes to offer an incredible experience to their customer? Very few. And how many deliver an experience that causes their customers to say, “WOW, dealing with you is always an amazing experience.” Even fewer.
When thinking about your business and the experience you offer to your customers, ask yourself one question. “Why is it that the experience we offer to our customers is less than what we expect when we are the customer?” Figure out the answer to this question and you have figured out the importance and the criticality of delivering a totally awesome experience. It will change your business forever!!
Oh, and one more thing…what do you think your customers will talk about, if anything, when they tell their colleagues about you? What word-of-mouth is going to be spread, if any? For businesses that rely on the power of word-of-mouth, referrals, or buzz, this should be mission critical.
