August 26, 2015 Anil Saxena

You’re Being Watched

The scary truth for businesses today? Customers are watching you..all the time!   
 
If you are a business owner, a business leader, or frontline employee at a factory, customers (or potential customers) are paying attention to your actions.
 
Because there is so much parity in design, service level, and quality of product one of the key differentiators is the customer’s relationship to the company or service provider. Customers more and more want to feel good about what they’re buying and from whom they’re buying it.
 
This should terrify organizations that don’t pay attention to how they treat their employees.
 
Every level of stakeholder –  shareholders, clients, investors –  is paying attention to every nuance of an organization.
 
Therefore, it matters more than ever how the  ”most important asset”, the people who work for you, are treated.
 
This is not an excuse for being lenient or lackadaisical with standards. It is about being consistent, fair, and ethical. Organizational stakeholders are interested in companies holding true to their statements or “beliefs” about employees.
 

In a recent incident at a large fast food establishment, an employee was berated by a manager in front of customers. Unfortunately for the manager, the incident happen right below a sign that read “Our employees are our most important asset”. This location and subsequently the entire chain was impacted by customer backlash. So much so, that the berating manager and the company’s president had to apologize.
 
For those organizations that exemplify the values they profess, this new scrutiny will be a welcome light on established good practices.
 
For those organizations that still believe employees are resources that are interchangeable and expendable, the thought of a watchful customer  should be very frightening.

How have you seen organizations leverage their employees to gain and retain customers?  Do you agree that customers are watching?  Let me know!

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