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Corporate America, will they ever learn?

The root of many corporate/company problems is this. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Clark Howard on CNN uses the phrase 'customer no-service'; and it’s sad but true. If you owned a company, or were in charge of it; think about how you would treat a customer, then think about how your under-paid customer service employees treat them, and I mean HOW THEY TREAT THEM, not how you THINK they treat them. If I had a company, just one person, I would be able to do what was needed for a customer. If I needed employee's to help, they are representing ME, and should be doing the same. How many times have you asked to see the manager, and the manager told you “there was nothing I could do", it's always out of their hands, the computer won't let them, blah blah blah. What happened to managers who could make decisions to keep a customer happy? If you are a CEO, President Etc, think about what I'm saying. Without customers, you've got nothing. If you have poor service, sell your company now; because you are just running into the ground anyway, why delay the inevitable. I see this time and time again; advertise like crazy to get more customers, but little effort to keep what customers you do have. Remember AOL sending floppy's/cd's, 1-2 per week. Home Depot can only grow by adding more stores, they don't retain customers because all the items they sell is junk and I have to return 50% of what I buy, customer service is helpful with the return, but I'm tired of making the trek back to return junk. Hence; we learn customer service is also selling a quality/lasting product. Example: I bought a $2 pair of work gloves, I know they were cheap, all I did was mow the lawn, holding the handle of the lawn mower, and they fell apart; this item could not even be a "glove" for 1 hour. Will executives ever learn, well, if they don't really know what's going on at the customer service end of the business, then answer will be no, they will never learn. A new TV show called “Undercover Boss” on CBS aired 2/7/2010. When I first saw the commercial, I said to my wife, “Isn’t this what CEO’s etc, should be doing anyway”! This TV show demonstrated that a new corporate policy’s handed down from the top dog’s, had ill effects, or misinterpreted when it reached the end user and/or customer. New policies should never be implemented without input from all levels of the company, and follow up to see what effect it’s having on people. Last Sunday’s paper’s automotive section had an article about a person who had an engine blow-out in a Kia. Kia did not help the customer, and cover the warranty. They said the problem was caused by a ‘road hazard’. Well the article was by “Click & Clack”, and national column, read by millions. Click & Clack said there is no way for a ‘road hazard’ foreign object to get past the air filter and ruin the engine; it had to have broken off a piece of metal inside the engine. Because this person received ‘Customer No-service’, millions of readers will probably think twice before buying a Kia vehicle. If you are a CEO, COO or whatever, go undercover in your company, and if you can’t, hire me, and I will do it, and report back to you. You’ve got to know what’s going on at the bottom of the totem pole, if you want to be a better company. One of my previous supervisors, spend a ½ day in my cubical once per month; just to see how I worked, asked questions, listened to my issues and concerns. Then he made things better, and more efficient. Most employer’s let their employee’s go it alone, hand out new policies without regard. What happens is you have an employee who keeps their head down, and keeps quiet; afraid to speak out as it may construed as person who is a trouble maker. This is not good for the well being of any company. Back near my hometown outside Boston. A furniture store called Jordan’s Furniture, did so well one year, the owners closed all locations, and flew ALL 1200 employee’s (full and part time) to Bermuda for the day When they sold the company, they shared the wealth will all employee’s. Henry Feuerstein owned a textile company called Malden Mills (maker of Polertec fleece). Fire broke out one night, and the place burned to the ground. He paid all those employees their regular pay, every week (at a cost of $1.5 million/week), for months until they could resume operations. Any people he could not keep on payroll, or did not need, he set up a program to help find them jobs, or re-train to work elsewhere. He will be remembered as a hero I’m sure, by all his employee’s and associates. I didn’t even know him, but tell his story often. Henry Feuerstein is a hero to me. Remember, what your customer see’s or experiences, is what shapes your customers mind; and makes that decision to return to do business again, or not.