In the past, I have written several articles about the importance of the customer, about giving this most important person the absolute best possible service, for without customers, we literally have no business at all. Now, while most people will say that this is an obvious fact, I know that many business organizations, are not giving the kind of service to their valued customers that they should, and this unfortunate Fact of Life is alas all too evident, all over the place in our modern world.
One particular article which I wrote some time back was entitled “Profits are more important than service,” and alas this is so very true when it comes to far too many commercial enterprises. Companies the world over are involved in cost-cutting exercises, to the definite detriment of excellence in customer service.
This, My Friend, is extremely short-sighted, and those involved in these ridiculous cost-cutting exercises, which ultimately result in poor customer service, do not fully understand the statement made by the title of this article.
Now I got the title for today’s article by viewing a really wonderful program on CNBC-TV recently, entitled “Peter Drucker οΎ– An Intellectual Journey.” I was so impressed with the program that I watched it a second time, when it aired again.
Peter F. Drucker, who is now 92 years old, is the famour author, teacher and international management consultant, and founder of The Peter F. Drucker School of Management in Clairmont, Ca. A prolific writer, his most well-known book is “The Practice of Management.”
It should be noted, that when Peter Drucker initially endeavoured to introduce his dynamic, and yet-oh-so-simple, management concepts to American businesses, he was soundly rejected.
He then went to Japan, where his sensible management principles were warmly embraced by Japanese business and industry, which resulted in Japan becoming a giant, world economic power.
Only when American business saw how successful Japan had become economically, by using Drucker’s concepts of management, did they start to adopt some of them.
However, it is my contention, that American business is by and large, still far too concerned with “The Bottom Line,” with “Profits,” with “Making Money.” It is for this main reason, that we have had, and indeed continue to have, financial debacles like Enron, Worldcom, etc.
And My Friend, if American businesses doesn’t wake up soon, and starts to really put great emphasis on customer service, coupled with treating its employees in a much more humane manner, we will continue to see giant corporations folding, through contemptuous greed.
One of my great mentors, Earl Nightingale, used to refer to the customer as “The Boss,” in fact he produced an excellent training video entitled
“The Boss,” which I still have in my library. In that wonderful video, Earl points out that The Customer is the only Boss, which we ALL must please, irrespective of what type of business we’re engaged in.
The Customer pays our salary, educates our kids, pays the doctor’s bills, and will buy everything which we’ll ever own. A very simple concept, but how very important for everyone in business, to really comprehend.
Let’s stop concentrating on making money in business, and instead go all out to give excellence in service, to our most important customers.
If and when we do this well, the money will automatically flow. It’s really a matter of “Common Sense.”
However, obviously this “Common Senses” is greatly lacking in so many boardrooms, who have replaced it with “Raw Greed,” which is where the problem arises.
THINK ABOUT IT!
By Dr. Paul Reilly
Dr. Paul Reilly’s radio programme Time To Think is aired each Monday through Friday on both ZNS 1 1540 AM and ZNS 3 810 AM at 7:15 AM each morning. His column “Time To Think” appears in The Nassau Guardian
