If they were a company selling products and services, would you recommend either one to your mom?
What we’ve got going on right now are the worlds’ two biggest silos duking it out. What is hard to tell is who they’re fighting for. It seems in each side’s quest for being right, they’ve lost sight of their customer.
Beloved companies earn the right to their customers’ story, to being promoted in the marketplace and to their continued business by NEVER losing sight of their customers.
This doesn’t happen accidentally. These companies make purposeful decisions to weave customers into their lives. They know them as people, and understand their lives. At the fork in the road when they are making a decision, they know in which direction to steer them because they know their customers as people.
For example, at beloved company Trader Joe’s, the company obsessed and put off the decision to install scanning equipment because they didn’t want the “pinging” noise to get in the way of the chatty conversations their check out folks have with customers. Conversations that fuel product development, service and create a powerful connection with customers. It turns Trader Joe’s for their huge and loyal fans from a “grocery store” to my ONLY store.
USAA begins all new employee orientations by sending them “orders” like military folks would receive. During orientation new recruits wear the flak jacket worn out in the field. They eat the “MRE’s,” meals ready to eat, that the enlisted men and women eat. And they read letters from folks in the military and their families.
You’ve got to know your customers’ lives to serve their lives. Then stay focused on serving them in the directions you make to run your business. That’s how Trader Joe’s and USAA have become so beloved.
Where are you today?
Do you have a picture of your customers in your minds’ eye as you make decisions?
“What we’ve got going on right now are the worlds’ two biggest silos duking it out. What is hard to tell is who they’re fighting for. It seems in each side’s quest for being right, they’ve lost sight of their customer.”
Do you have any concrete examples of what other companies have “siloed themselves off” as a ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat’ company? Of course, with some it’s easy to tell because of where they spend dollars lobbying, but other than that do you have another example? Are you referring to Whole Foods perhaps?
Is this really about politics or is it about companies just losing sight about their customers?
Also, to clarify, ALL military personal get MREs in the field, not just those who have enlisted. (I know this to be true because my brother is a Lieutenant Colonel and he started off as a private in the Army.)
Beth Harte
Community Manager, MarketingProfs
@bethharte
I think the author has made this post just for the sake of writing something. It does not make any sense. What is the political parties and national policies have to do with the customer focused business. Customer focused businesses are the buzz word since mid 80s. Nothing new here.
For businesses, serving customers is a means to an end. And that end is more profit. A CEO’s fiduciary responsibility is towards the shareholders, not the customers. The motivation for great customer service is for a desire to make more money. Even the recent emergence of the concept corporate social responsibility is motivated by profits.
Whereas national policies are directed to the up-liftment of the masses, prevent discrimination in a society, protect the weak, and provide security to its citizenry, etc. National policies are not motivated by profit or at least they should not be. Whereas, a business should be motivated by the profit. If it is not, it should just get out of the business.
This post was NOT meant to be a political statement in any way!
It was meant to draw a correlation to the fact that inside corporations, there are very strong silos. The boundary lines of these silos preventing collaboration, in essence prevent people from coming together to create a compromised solution that is right for customers.
I simply was observing that many of the debates going on right now illustrate and draw a correlation between the gridlock between the parties…and the gridlock between silos in business.
In both cases, when people can reach across “the aisles” or “the silos” the solutions that come out are better for their customers.
Jeanne,
Good points in your post. I understand the correlation you are trying to make since even political parties must brand themselves with aspects such as trust and aligning their actions with those of voters. But I do think the title for the post was unfortunate since it diverts from your real points. Also, the first paragraph assumes that both parties have lost their way, something the “faithful” of either party would argue is not the case. Perhaps an alternative title might be something that hints towards living the lives of customers. Something along the lines of “Are Your Customers Your Family, Friends or Mere Acquaintances?”…
“S,”
You are so right. Thanks for your thoughts and feedback.
Clearly I didn’t think that this title would be such a lightening rod!
I agree with your points that trust and alignment, even with others that have differing points of view give the best outcomes for customers or constituents.
Thanks so much,
Jeanne
Both parties seem to be catering to their most vocal and active customers on the left and the right respectively.
I think this leaves a MASSIVE number of customers (voters and potential voters) near the center of the political spectrum disillusioned and under served. One of the parties will realize this gap in the market and fill it or perhaps this is an historic opportunity for a new party?
I think the future belongs to political entrepreneurs who are calm, reasonable, and moderate. They could be Republicans, Democrats, or something else. This won’t happen over night as things are so polarized and fragmented at the moment.
Hey, Jeanne. Thanks for the insightful post.
This is one article all business movers and entrepreneurs can easily relate to — without sounding blatantly political in any way.
In my own point of view, I think that S did a great job of supplying an alternate title.
However, I believe that you did a great job emphasizing the real message: the real focus of business is the customer.
Jeanne, I agree with you – many of our political leaders have lost sight of their customers, the American people. And so what if this post has a political bent to it? It criticizes both sides evenly.
In my view, businesses, governments, nonprofits and individuals ALL have brands and must answer to others. However, businesses and nonprofits typically narrow their markets down into target segments, whereas governments and elected officials must answer to all their constituents. That makes serving them ever more challenging. There’s not always a homogeneous thread.
“SGA”
You’re right, and thank you “S” for the great alternate title!
What is interesting to think about is this: in business or politics…what prevents both sides from backing down a little to come up with a compromised solution?
Lack of smooth processes for collaborating and agreeing are at the root of much of what stalls out actions in both politics and business.
Let’s get real, people. The Republican and Democratic parties DO have customers — they are called lobbyists. The voice of the average person has little impact on political decisions, and will not unless and until campaign finance reform takes place. The lobbying industry doesn’t really care which party is in power or how it lives up to its “brand,” as long as the special interests of the lobbyists’ clients are served.
Great point, Michael. Big reality check. Just as a point of clarification, my previous comment about the challenge of serving all constituents referred to the macro level of politics.