Many years ago, when I was a junior manager, I was in a meeting discussing product quality with senior management, the managing director and two external quality consultants when one consultant asked, “Who is the most important person in the business?” Well, being keen to give a good impression I said “the managing director.”
Now many years later I cringe every time I think about my answer because I was wrong and the correct answer is, “The customer.” Or is it?
Richard Branson doesn’t agree. He said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
Is that true, and if so, what does it really mean to a business?
Don’t become a one-person customer care centre
Well, it’s not uncommon in business for the MD to be wining and dining the company’s best clients who then have a direct line to them and aren’t slow in using it. Before you know it, the MD becomes ineffective as an MD as they are now a one-person customer care centre. In the meantime, all the staff look on in bewilderment and learn nothing about customer care and management because the MD has it all covered. Eventually the MD will wonder why the hell are they doing this when there are several employees responsible for looking after the customers. It could get to the stage where the MD is stressing out and resentful of his staff for not doing their jobs properly.
It’s about now that the MD will either have a nervous breakdown, sack someone or hopefully realise that their customer care strategy is all wrong and start thinking about how to resolve it.
Photo by Dover Air Force Base
Imagine if the MD put as much energy into coaching the staff to look after the customers as they did looking after the customers themselves, what would be the benefits?
How about these for starters:
1. MD would have more quality time to themselves to carry out proactive strategical thinking and develop the business plan.
2. Customer issues would get resolved quicker as it wouldn’t all get funnelled to one person; instead several of the team could address issues.
3. Greater employee engagement as they will feel trusted and will take ownership.
4. Employees will gain first-hand experience and develop the skills to pre-empt issues so they don’t become issues in the first place.
5. The business could grow more as the MD would no longer be a bottleneck for client issues, the employees are looking after the clients who are so pleased with the service that they would refer your business to others.
6. In extreme cases, your employees might come to resent your customers as they watch you move heaven and earth for them and pay no attention to your employee’s needs.
It might be a leap of faith but…
Some people would see that this is a big jump of faith trusting customers to their employees but if you can’t do this you have recruited the wrong people, have a trust issue or you aren’t a good coach. Whatever the reason you need to address it as soon as possible.
And it’s not only Richard Branson who thinks this, several other business leaders have made similar comments:
“To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.” – Doug Conant, former President and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company
“The responsibility of a company is to serve the customer. The responsibility of leadership is to serve their people so that their people may better serve the customer. If leaders do not serve their people first, both customer and company will suffer.” – Simon Sinek, author, motivational speaker and marketing consultant
“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” – Stephen R. Covey, author & businessman
“The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” – Harold Schultz, founder and former CEO of Starbucks
Well, that can’t all be wrong, can they?