I was in a discussion with a business owner last
week, he is in the asphalt driveway business. He was a bit disgruntled
about a client who just finished a driveway with him. He made the
comment that the client was lucky he was able to fit the project in at
all, and why couldn't they be more appreciative.
For
years I was proud of how our company kept dust to a bare minimum on our
projects. Still, sometimes it wasn't enough until I realized that as a
company we were focusing on what dust we didn't create – yet our
homeowners only understood the dust we did create.
This sudden realization eventually led to our company’s culture of Uncommon Courtesy.
Uncommon
courtesy is doing the little things that make a big difference. The key
to implementing this into a company is first to look at all events as
seen through the eyes of the client. The second key is to train all the
people in the company to see things through the eyes of the customer.
This sort of culture doesn't happen overnight. It takes training and training and continual reinforcement. It also takes good processes in place that are customer centric.
Start
by looking at all the details of how customers interact with your
company. One woman got a funny smile on her face when the lead carpenter
told her he was going to send a truck full of studs out. I think she
was thinking of shirtless muscular guys, but he was talking about the
boards that go perpendicular in a wall.
How do you create a culture of uncommon courtesy?
1. Look at all your company processes through the eyes of your clients.
2. Identify key areas in your process that affect your clients and make sure they are customer centric.
3. Develop training programs for your people on how to look for the little things that make a big difference.
4. Remember
the key to looking for the little things that will make a big
difference is going to be in changing how your people think about your
customers.
To read more about creating cultures in you business read Uncommon Consequences .
Mike Otto, Fair and Square Remodeling
