Customer Servces
10 Commandments for Managersby T. Scott Gross
There's no claim here that the following ten commandments should be carved in stone.
1. Be a Quality Fanatic!
Notice, please, that there is no suggestion that you should be "interested" in quality. This commandment demands that you be a quality "fanatic." Nothing more. Nothing less.
Debbie Fields, founder of Mrs. Field's Cookies, ruined my life. Before encountering an article about her, I would occasionally find myself saying "that's good enough." But the article quoted Mrs. Fields as saying, "Good enough seldom is."
And I was ruined. No more walking away from a job done half-heartedly.
2. Say "YES" to Your Customers.
Too often, we create policies and procedures that do more to serve the system than the customer. These rules take on an even more sinister character when they are designed to prevent theft or petty rip-off.
At our quick service restaurant, we figured that if you didn't have a few dollars cash to pay for your lunch, we darned sure didn't want to accept your check. Then one day a regular customer helped us see the light.
He said, "If I promised to eat here once a week, would you give me a discount?"
"Certainly! I'd give you a 10% discount without even thinking about it."
"Well," he continued, "if you accepted local checks, how many do you think would bounce?"
I knew he was driving to a point but, as yet I hadn't quite seen it.
"Maybe two or three percent," I guessed.
"Then why won't you take a check from me when I'm in here all the time?"
Bingo. He had me. We learned our lesson. Now we accept checks. Sure we lose a few. But what a surprise to learn that when we begin to look for ways to say "YES", our customers reward us at the cash register.
3. Act Now; Apologize Later.
When an employee asks you what to do, they are robbing you of time that you could be using to do something that only you can do. Managers must refuse to make employee decisions, even though it may give great satisfaction to be in control. The problems come when you leave and discover that work stops because people are either unable or afraid to make a decision. Make first mistakes consequence free.
4. Value Action over Perfection.
Managers often are so intent on doing things perfectly, that they confuse flawless execution with strategic maneuvering. If you do the wrong thing perfectly, you are still doing the wrong thing.
Better to spend a little time considering what is truly important and then do that. Even if you need to make a mid-course correction later on, you will still be much closer to the goal than if you were flawlessly paddling in the wrong direction.
5. Be a List Master.
Employees should always have a longer list than the boss. If not, it's because:
a. The boss is doing most of the work. This is stupid.
b. The boss does not trust that the employees are competent. This can only mean poor hiring, poor training, or poor supervision. To your list, add, "replace the boss."
6. Make Integrity an Issue.
If this commandment isn't obvious, read On My Honor I Will by Pennington and Bockman. If there is one positive trend in American business, it is that more and more companies are making integrity a core value.
7. Make Work Fun.
More than quality products, quality includes service. Service is often considered difficult to measure. But it can be done and the winning organizations are doing it. When you measure, model and reward quality, work becomes fun!
8. Be a Visible Standard of Excellence.
People learn by imitating. If you are unhappy with the behavior of your employees, the first place to look is in the mirror.
9. Manage First; Labor Second.
No one enjoys working for a boss who is afraid of dirty hands. But a boss who is spending too much time laboring in the trenches is spending too little time providing the leadership necessary for long term survival and prosperity.
10. Manage from the Brain; Lead from the Heart.
Management is not an art. It is not a science. It is a religion and we are all sinners.
Managers who are addicted to power are not managers. Managers who wield the stick but not the carrot are not managers.
Good managers are first in control of themselves. They understand incentives. They make room for employees to grow.
Good managers may know how to make a buck...but their first priority is to make a difference.
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T. Scott Gross. All right reserved. For information contact Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com.
