How Do You Put Customers First?

We talk about customer service and earning customer’s loyalty but when push comes to shove – which came first:

The quest for sales and profits?

Or

Customers?

My experience has shown that it is a rare company indeed that puts customers first at every level of the company – from the owner/founder to the board to each executive level on down to the people that actually talk to the customers.

As our business grows our focus shifts to all of the balls we juggle to keep our business afloat and at some point we decide (and I think it may even be a conscious decision) to leave the customer relationship building to the hourly wage employees that actually see the customers face to face – or phone to phone.

What’s wrong with that picture? 

1. If the only person putting the customer first is the front line employee – what happens when their boss needs them to do something that puts the customer second?
2. When managers receive a bonus based on inventory turns and bottom line profit what happens to the “put customers first” mantra?
3. When the communication and paperwork that hit the store  and the tasks assigned are so cumbersome that employees view customers as an intrusion into their daily responsibilities, what happens to putting the customer first?
4. When we’ve been forced, due to the economy, to work with fewer employees but don’t streamline tasks or eliminate those that aren’t customer-focused – is the customer still first?

Do you have a Put Customer First culture?  How do you manage to keep the customer in the forefront of every discussion, every new direction, every new product or service or marketing campaign?  Who polices the corporate behavior to protect the customer-first culture?  What tips do you have for ensuring that if it doesn’t positively impact the customer – it doesn’t get done?

HELP our customers!

I’m collecting your stories, tips, nightmares – anything you’d like to share that helps the rest of us get back to the business of PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST.

I’d like to compile your stories in an e-book that we’ll launch here.

HELP ME GET THE WORD OUT.  Please share this request with your network – let’s make this a “must-have” resource for putting the customer first.

Include:

Your name

Your company name

The link or URL address to your website or blog or both – your choice. 

Thanks so  much! Let’s start a revolution so that the customer comes out on top.