MANAGEMENT MANTRA – CUSTOMER FOCUS
Some Companies Set the Rules : They tell customers how to play the game. Others ask customers what they would like the rules to be ; then they do everything possible to play by those. Attitudes separate the excellent service companies from the average and poor ones. Can we place an Army workshop somewhere in the above spectrum and if so, which end would you like to be ?
EME is a service organisation and if you want to succeed today as a Quality Organisation, you have to play by the customer’s rules. Many of us do not do that. In fact, not only do we expect our user units to play by our rules, we are at times rude in explaining what those rules are.
Here is a checklist for those who would like to change :
1. Be Flexible – The customer does not need to learn how you do your job ; you need to learn how the customer wants to do business with you.
2. Disarm your Customers with – “Tell me exactly what you need and consider it done”. Once they tell you, make sure you deliver it to them.
3. Never Say No to a Customer unless you are going to compromise on your technical or professional integrity by saying YES.
Tailpiece
The Road to Success is always under Construction
Brig K Harikumar [Retd]
15 Nov 1997