Comments on: Who’s more important: the division president or the customer? http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/ Memorable customer service...mostly. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-2058 Steve Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:06:09 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-2058 Eric, thanks again for your comments. Look forward to connecting more in the blogosphere and on Twitter. Eric, thanks again for your comments. Look forward to connecting more in the blogosphere and on Twitter.

]]> By: Eric Jacques http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-2057 Eric Jacques Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:48:43 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-2057 Absolutely Steve. I agree that it's only a partial solution. However, selection is also only a partial solution. I've hired some great people to do customer service, only to have the corporate culture render them cynical and blasé. We also need to empower these employees to make decisions and deliver excellent service. At a minimum, you need all three; hire great talent, compensate them for excellent service and have a customer-centric culture which empowers employees to do the right thing. Cheers! Eric Absolutely Steve. I agree that it’s only a partial solution.

However, selection is also only a partial solution.

I’ve hired some great people to do customer service, only to have the corporate culture render them cynical and blasé. We also need to empower these employees to make decisions and deliver excellent service.

At a minimum, you need all three; hire great talent, compensate them for excellent service and have a customer-centric culture which empowers employees to do the right thing.

Cheers!
Eric

]]> By: Steve http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-2056 Steve Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:23:24 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-2056 Eric, great points. You're obviously been a student of the subject. I agree that for many, money is a motivator and that there is a place for financial incentives in the workplace. And I also agree that connecting compensation to customer satisfaction may be a <em>partial </em>solution. That said, I feel selection practices (e.g., StrenthsFinder, behavioral interviewing techniques, etc.) have the strongest enduring effect on customer satisfaction - assuming high standards exist and are reinforced daily by company leadership. When the right people have been hired for the right job, that match shows up in their performance. And when the wrong people have been hired for the wrong job, that <em>mismatch</em> shows up in <em>their</em> performance (like our supermarket friend who thinks it's acceptable to criticize customers who don't put their carts away). The best recent example of this that I've come across is the selection and onboarding process at Zappos. It allows employees to quit following their orientation/new-hire training and collect a check for hours worked <em>plus</em> a $2K bonus on their way out. Only 2-3 percent of employees take them up on this offer. And they're likely the same employees who would add the least value - for customers and the business - in the long term. Eric, great points. You’re obviously been a student of the subject. I agree that for many, money is a motivator and that there is a place for financial incentives in the workplace. And I also agree that connecting compensation to customer satisfaction may be a partial solution. That said, I feel selection practices (e.g., StrenthsFinder, behavioral interviewing techniques, etc.) have the strongest enduring effect on customer satisfaction – assuming high standards exist and are reinforced daily by company leadership. When the right people have been hired for the right job, that match shows up in their performance. And when the wrong people have been hired for the wrong job, that mismatch shows up in their performance (like our supermarket friend who thinks it’s acceptable to criticize customers who don’t put their carts away). The best recent example of this that I’ve come across is the selection and onboarding process at Zappos. It allows employees to quit following their orientation/new-hire training and collect a check for hours worked plus a $2K bonus on their way out. Only 2-3 percent of employees take them up on this offer. And they’re likely the same employees who would add the least value – for customers and the business – in the long term.

]]> By: Eric Jacques http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-2054 Eric Jacques Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:25:52 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-2054 Great post Steve! Thanks for pointing me to it. Although I disagree that it's due to familiarity, everything else is spot on. The underlying cause is much more likely to be a misunderstanding of the power structure within the company. No employee would have a job or a salary if it wasn't for customers; we all know it. However, employees don't "feel" it. Employees are rarely "fired" by a customer in a noticeable way. However, management does have a visible control over an employee's continued employment, bonus or salary increase. I believe that connecting compensation to customer satisfaction is at least a partial solution. One of my first blog posts was actually "What is Paid for REALLY Gets Done". Cheers! Eric Great post Steve! Thanks for pointing me to it.

Although I disagree that it’s due to familiarity, everything else is spot on.

The underlying cause is much more likely to be a misunderstanding of the power structure within the company.

No employee would have a job or a salary if it wasn’t for customers; we all know it. However, employees don’t “feel” it.

Employees are rarely “fired” by a customer in a noticeable way. However, management does have a visible control over an employee’s continued employment, bonus or salary increase.

I believe that connecting compensation to customer satisfaction is at least a partial solution. One of my first blog posts was actually “What is Paid for REALLY Gets Done”.

Cheers!
Eric

]]> By: Recommended Marketing Reads for Monday, 10-19 : Bizzia - Business News and Commentary – Finance and Business Tips http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-951 Recommended Marketing Reads for Monday, 10-19 : Bizzia - Business News and Commentary – Finance and Business Tips Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:48:16 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-951 [...] Who’s more important: the division president or the customer? One thing that bugs me when I go to the store is employees who complain about work, their boss, other customers, or their co-workers — in front of me. I find it highly unprofessional and it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to hear you complain, because it usually means you’re so busy with your conversation that you’re ignoring me. Your customer. So Steve’s post here about making sure your employees treat customers the same as the company big wigs hits a bulls eye for me. [...] [...] Who’s more important: the division president or the customer? One thing that bugs me when I go to the store is employees who complain about work, their boss, other customers, or their co-workers — in front of me. I find it highly unprofessional and it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to hear you complain, because it usually means you’re so busy with your conversation that you’re ignoring me. Your customer. So Steve’s post here about making sure your employees treat customers the same as the company big wigs hits a bulls eye for me. [...]

]]> By: Steve http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-942 Steve Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:30:50 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-942 Bob, thanks for your comment. I too have experienced isolated incidents at Nordstrom over the years that have left me stunned - given its reputation for service excellence. That reinforces the point that a company's reputation for service excellence lies precariously in the hands of front line hourly employees on a daily basis. That's why I tend to jump up and down about establishing, communicating, modeling, and rewarding standards of service excellence. Thank you for sharing this post with others on your team! Bob, thanks for your comment. I too have experienced isolated incidents at Nordstrom over the years that have left me stunned – given its reputation for service excellence. That reinforces the point that a company’s reputation for service excellence lies precariously in the hands of front line hourly employees on a daily basis. That’s why I tend to jump up and down about establishing, communicating, modeling, and rewarding standards of service excellence. Thank you for sharing this post with others on your team!

]]> By: Steve http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-941 Steve Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:24:19 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-941 Julie, I agree. Double standards are a sad fact of life. The difference, in my household anyway, is that when I demonstrate hypocrisy, my wife usually says, "C'mon Steve. You know better. You teach this stuff." Oh, the dagger... ; ) Julie, I agree. Double standards are a sad fact of life. The difference, in my household anyway, is that when I demonstrate hypocrisy, my wife usually says, “C’mon Steve. You know better. You teach this stuff.” Oh, the dagger… ; )

]]> By: Julie http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-937 Julie Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:38:34 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-937 A great reminder, Steve. I can't help but apply this concept to my own personal life and home. Why do I spend more time cleaning/sprucing up my home for visitors but let things get a bit messy for my own family to see? Point well-taken. A great reminder, Steve. I can’t help but apply this concept to my own personal life and home. Why do I spend more time cleaning/sprucing up my home for visitors but let things get a bit messy for my own family to see? Point well-taken.

]]> By: Bob Watson http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/2009/10/13/who%e2%80%99s-more-important-the-division-president-or-the-customer/comment-page-1/#comment-935 Bob Watson Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:57:21 +0000 http://www.stevecurtin.com/blog/?p=302#comment-935 This is an amazing post and one that I plan on sharing with everyone in my company! In regards to your Nordstrom reference, I have experienced an upswing in their employees' attitudes of late; there was a period during the past several years that I was extremely 'unimpressed' with their attitudes towards service and the customer, to the point of asking if they had read 'The Nordstrom Way'. This is an amazing post and one that I plan on sharing with everyone in my company! In regards to your Nordstrom reference, I have experienced an upswing in their employees’ attitudes of late; there was a period during the past several years that I was extremely ‘unimpressed’ with their attitudes towards service and the customer, to the point of asking if they had read ‘The Nordstrom Way’.

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