Chick-fil-A has a service-oriented culture. A friend of mine in senior leadership there always says, “advertising is the price you pay for poor service.” Chick-fil-A believes that providing good service to their customers matters more than how many eyes see their ads, billboards, etc. Many companies discuss “profit”, “revenue” and how to get more dollars out of their clients; Is this the right approach in today’s market?
Delivering is what many companies do. A customer comes in and pays you, then you deliver on what they paid for. You walk into a store or into a sales meeting with a vendor with a dollar sign on your head. It is a fight for who can take or keep the most money.
Service is making recommendations to a client or customer regardless of the positive or negative economic impact that it will have on you or your company. Why would you tell your client that you are not a good fit for a project? Or why they should not implement an idea that they are willing to pay you for?
The answer: because it is the right thing to do and it builds trust and relationships. Those customers will come back to you time and time again because they know you have their best interest in mind. You are looking out for them. When you do have a recommendation, they take it seriously because they know you have no ulterior motives.
Are you delivering to your customers – or truly serving them?
