Focus On the Root Not the Fruit

I’ve so enjoyed working with several hospitals recently, as they pursue a “5 star” HCAP rating (HCAHPS-Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems).

I admire the effort and passion with which they are fine tuning systems, facilities, training, surveys, hiring and vision, but I observe a classic mistake some are making in the process. The focus is on achieving the 5 star rating. The focus needs to be on exceptional patient care. “Patients first,” has to become the spirit of the organization from the top down.

Customers are the root of business success. (In this case patients and their families) Legendary Management Expert Peter Drucker says it best, “there is only one valid definition of business success: to create a customer.” The most basic gardener knows that caring for the roots (getting the soil, moisture, fertilizer correct) is preliminary to enjoying the fruit.

Focus on customers. Take time with customers. Nurture trust with customers. Follow up with customers. Fine tune the systems to delight customers.

Dazzle customers and the “5 star” ratings will come, as well as a tremendous increase in long-term profitability.

How To Win and Retain More Customers In 2016

I tried out a new local auto repair shop near my house several years ago. When I walked in, almost the first thing I saw, behind the cash register, on the wall, was a banner that said:

Our customer pledge

We promise to do no work on your car without your permission

We guarantee the parts for the life of your vehicle

We will not exceed your written estimate

I was surprised by such a frank statement. I read it several times. I thought to myself, "I like that.  I feel safe leaving my car here."

Wow, what a great first experience for a customer walking into your business! They feel safe because you have assured them of your promise or pledge of great service and reliability.

Three things impressed me as I read that statement:

1)      They had identified the key felt needs of their customers: control, reliability and a fair price.

2)      They communicated their promise or pledge in an effective and immediate manner.

3)      They kept their promises… the work was done on time, in a professional manner and at the price quoted.

Want to win and retain more customers in 2016? Identify the key felt needs and problems of your customers as they approach your business. Communicate your vision, promise or pledge of great customer service to meet those felt needs. Follow through with actions that demonstrate your commitment to your customer pledge.

No Participation...No Commitment

I’ve seen leaders get very passionate about focusing on the customer. They arrive at work with a new customer service vision statement they have labored over. They make copies for everyone and hold a staff meeting to “get everyone rowing in the same direction.” They ask employees to post the vision statement in their work area and read it daily before starting their tasks. What’s the problem with this? (I can heard someone saying this aloud) No buy in. No commitment. It’s the vision of the boss but not the staff.

How do you get an employee where their finger prints are all over that vision statement? The only way I know to do that is to get your staff together (hopefully away from the job site) and get their participation and ideas. Start with the statement:

“We promise you our customer….”

Get everyone brain storming and thinking about our promise or pledge of service to the customer. Participation is the key. Listening, stimulating creativity and taking the ideas of your staff seriously are powerful ways to lead people in a new direction. Take these fresh ideas and boil them down to a statement in 100 words or less. Now you have a customer service vision statement that means much more to everyone in the organization.

Ticket to Hot Growth

It was Henry Ford that said: 

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”

One of my friends observed that the 1^st step you take towards business failure is to lose sight of the objective and begin to focus on the obstacles. It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily problems and hassles of running a business and let the customer become an interruption in our busy day.

What’s the 1^st step towards business success in 2016? Refocus your business on the customer. Winning, retaining and dazzling customers (creating a memorable experience) should be the most important objective of every employee (not just the “customer service” department).

Focus on delighting customers for 2016 and you’re on track for business growth and success.

A Hound Dog Sitting On A Nail

Do you know someone at work that's like a hound dog sitting on a nail? (constantly moaning, groaning and complaining about everything!)

In our TEAM 2.0 workshop, we address dealing with "toxic" people in the workplace. The first in the list (see our December 9 blog for the complete list), is:

Grumblers...Whiners...Complainers

They complain about:

• The tick of the clock
• The weather
• The temperature
• The wind
• People's actions or reactions
• Who won or lost the ball game
• Delays at airports
• Waiting in traffic
• The cost of everything
• On the job irritations
• Work load
• Interruptions
• Disappointments

Humorist, Charles Menninger, says of these complainers, "they never have an optimistic word to say about anything; they are perpetually ticked off about some little things; they're angry at everyone else for making their lives miserable… and, yet, as rotten as life is for them they don't seem to die. They hardly ever get sick, it seems. They just go on and on, splattering there festering view of life on everyone else they see." (Honolulu Light)

It's really deadly when these toxic people are leaders.   I've never met an effective leader that was a whiner and complainer. Leaders know you have to keep your attitude positive, enthusiastic and helpful.

When is carping about something at work legitimate? What if it's a safety issue? What if has to do with improving working conditions for everyone? What if it's the occasional bad day we all have? Thoughts? I would be interested to hear your feedback.

Handling the 10 Most Difficult Co-Workers

In our new TEAM 2.0 workshop, one of the most popular sections is on handling the 10 most difficult employees or co-workers. Here's the list of troublesome people we all probably  have to deal with at times:

Grumblers, whiners and complainers: “Are we doing this again?”
Arrogant superstars: “All you do is answer phones…”
Gossips (they’re faster than Federal Express!)
Control Freaks/Turf Protectors: “That’s OUR department’s responsibility”
No shows or constantly late: “I got stuck in traffic”
Angry or abusive – short tempered hotheads
Manipulators/Liars: “You know what people are saying, don’t you”
Silent Sam/Sally – never communicates
Lazy, irresponsible “That’s not my job!”
Demanding, “I want it NOW!”

I'll be writing on each of these in the days to come.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Bill

Why Customers Don't Buy

Zig Ziglar once said there are only 5 reasons customers don't buy our product or service:

1. They don't want it
2. They don't need it (someone observed that customers don't buy products or services...they buy solutions to their problems)
3. They are too busy. Fatigue and time pressure are big factors in most American's lives.
4. It costs too much.

The 5th reason is the hardest for a sales person to overcome - no trust.

Trust is the glue of good relationships with our customers. What can we do today to build trust with our customer? Please reply with your ideas.