One of our neighborhood churches posted the following message on their street sign last week:
The ideal of success must now be the ideal of service
Obviously, I understand their intended meaning, but the impact this had on me in my current situation was vastly different for a number of reasons.
On the one hand we have my former employer. For years he preached the importance of customer service and of taking care of his employees. For years, his actions demonstrated his sincerity in this, and by supporting the personal goals of his workers he achieved the level of customer service he talked so strongly about. However, when economic and personal circumstances challenged his resolve, all of this broke down. Ultimately, this lead to the need for him to close the business last week. I honestly sympathize with him, but I wonder how things would have been different if he had remained focused on those all-important concepts he preached so vehemently in the past.
The other touch point is my own business and my personal philosophy regarding customer service. Over the years, I have had contact with numerous businesses in the area, from siding and roofing to marketing and print vendors. Not everyone is perfect, and I never get bent out of shape when something goes wrong. I do have a fit, though, when that problem is not handled in a way that demonstrates that business’ desire to satisfy my needs.
Notice, I did not say, “in a way that satisfies my needs.” We can’t always get our way. I’m aware of that, as much as I would like to forget it sometimes. The important thing here is that, if a business (or friend, for that matter) is willing to compromise and make sacrifices to resolve the issue, it means so much more than the actual resolution of that problem.
Customer service means everything. It is what keeps your clients coming back time after time. It is what prompts them to recommend you to their family and friends. In a nutshell, customer service is your primary (dare I say only?) path to success.
Tags: Business, customer service, opinions, quotes
