Are You Running Downhill?
Is it me, or does it seems like everyone is squeezed? Squeezed for time, for quality, for space and for money?
As a small business owner we are faced with challenges every day. Most of them do not even involve the core competency of why we started our own business. From banking, to IT, to phones, to insurance, our days can be gobbled up by miscellaneous issues that if not addressed can hinder our credit and our ability to run our businesses effectively.
What disturbs me most is the lack of customer service that seems to exist during these interactions. The qualities of friendliness, patience and support seem to be missing. Our vendors are being squeezed by their supervisors to get money, product and service out and it seems to all run down hill. Trust and the desire to help others succeed seem like days of old.
Why? What example are we setting for our teams? How do we treat others, what do our employees observe in our behavior? Are we willing to help others and be patient to get the job done right the first time?
I love the age old excuse, “I don’t have time to explain.” What people fail to realize is if they took just 3 extra minutes to communicate what they really wanted, they could possibly eliminate hours and hundreds of dollars of rework. Often times, we are our own worst enemies. We will not take time to make our message clear and we are presented with a product or service that is sub par. We blame others, instead of looking at ourselves and the role we played in that interaction.
So how do you avoid this?
√ Before you ask someone to provide you with a product or service, know what you are asking for, be clear and concise, and take time to answer questions.
√ Listen to the vendors concerns about delivery.
√ Listen.
√ Listen.
√ Work together to solve problems. Often times, when we put our heads together we come up with a better solution anyway.
Show your teams how to deal with vendors through your actions. If they see you putting the squeeze on, they will squeeze others. Think about the long term effects on your brand and reputation when this happens. We need vendors to be successful just as much as we need our clients to.
