Lesson #31
Why You Must Look at Business through the Customer's Eyes, Not Just from an Operator's Perspective
Every good company today must be an advocate for its customers. The problem, unfortunately, is that most entrepreneurs, presidents, CEOs, and owners often lose sight of this and forget about their reasons for being. They talk a great game and claim to be committed to customer service, but they often either fall short of the mark or fail to follow through on the basics.
In 1976 a satirical movie titled Network won four Academy Awards and quickly gained a cultlike following. The flick centers on an anchor newscaster who is fed up with his job and the world around him. His frustration erupts during a live national TV broadcast that galvanizes the nation with the rant, “I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore.” This protagonist's action prompts Americans across the country to literally open their windows and shout this defiant pronouncement for any and all to hear.
But that was then, and this is now. And nowadays, it's not a fictional character who has adopted this mantra—but the public at large. Customers now have the power—and they know it. No longer do they have to accept inferior products and dismal service. Most frustrating, according to many surveys, is the plain bad attitude that accompanies many companies' lack of follow-through and poor service.
In our Internet-based world of almost-instant computer-driven communications, blogs, chat rooms, tweets, ...
