Focus on the Customers

Sales staff and receptionists deal directly with
customers, but many small companies have key employees
who work completely behind the scenes, never having
direct contact with the people who purchase the
company’s products or services. Too often, these
employees work in a "customer vacuum," meaning that
their work is performed without an ongoing awareness of
the fact that everything they do is ultimately pointed
toward satisfying customers.

by Jeffrey Moses NFIB

The result may be that tasks are performed without the
attention to detail or innovation that produces true
excellence. For example, a clerk who assists in the
accounting department may be directly involved with
sending invoices and receiving payments. These tasks
can become so repetitive that the employee’s work
becomes automatic, with all personal, human touches
removed. Customers’ names may be misspelled, addresses
not updated in a timely way, late notices sent out by
mistake or call-in questions not answered, which all
make the company appear not to care about customers as
individuals.

Another example is an employee who works in the
manufacturing of a product. Usually, such an employee
has a daily or weekly quota, and may, over time, begin
to do nothing more than is required to get the job
done. Imagine how much more attention and care might be
given to an item that the employee knew was for a
family member or close friend. Suddenly, they might
start examining each detail and creatively looking for
ways to improve the product.

When all employees behind the scenes work as though
each thing they do is to give the best product or
service possible, true customer awareness emerges. This
can reduce customer complaints and warranty returns,
greatly enhance word-of-mouth and transform a company’s
image.

Some of the best ways to encourage a customer focus
are:

Don’t allow behind-the-scenes employees to become
isolated from front-line staff. Bring them together
with the sales team or with service technicians in
meetings or even company-sponsored social events.

Have behind-the-scenes employees accompany sales or
service staff when visiting customers. This gets
employees out of their routine, allows them to learn
what customers are thinking, and fosters an awareness
that everything done by the company is ultimately to
address the needs of individual customers.

Encourage customers to visit your offices or facility
and take them on a tour. Introduce them to back office
staff, describing what each employee does. Always
emphasize how each employee contributes to the overall
company effort.

Encourage employees to personalize their work as much
as possible. Customers appreciate little notes on
invoices, sales material or memos from staff they
talked with on the phone or met while at the facility.
Just saying "Nice to meet you" can mean a lot — and in
so doing, employees will take the extra care that comes
with knowing their every effort is for customer
satisfaction.

Recognize and reward innovation and attention to
detail. "Employee of the Month" awards and other
employee recognition programs should be partially based
on excellence in customer awareness. When an employee
discovers a better way to do something for customers,
share that information with other employees and give
recognition to the innovative employee.

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