Culture Matters

True customer service seems to be pretty much forgotten in America today. I have become so used to being treated poorly by restaurant, retail and other service providers, that whenever I am greeted with a simple smile, I feel like sending a letter of commendation. I'm sure many of you feel just the same. Three of the four articles below are profiles of companies that have built themselves around strong customer service, and are reaping the benefits from doing so. Most notable, is the way these companies have built strong customer service into their cultures; making it an absolute priority for anyone wanting to be, or remain, as an employee. There are a throng of consultants and programs out there for organizations who wish to become more customer service oriented. However, in our work, we find that for customer service programs to stick, the philosophy has to be made part of the value system - rather than a strategy to improve sales. In other words, customer service must be one of the organization's top priorities, inside and out, top to bottom. Different rules for different people in the organization cannot exist and the reward/punishment systems of the organization must support the philosophy. Without that commitment, alot of time and money can be wasted on programs.

BEST FROM AROUND THE WEB
As usual, the internet offered up numerous articles of interest regarding culture, leadership and related topics this quarter. Below are a few that we felt were the most compelling.

Starbucks Offers Valuable Business Lessons
by Richard Pachter
From the Miami Herald Online, Sept. 18, 2006
Seems like everyone has an opinion on Starbucks, some love them, some hate them, but regardless of how you feel, the Starbucks business story is extremely compelling. Just how have they become so huge? This short article is actually a review of a new book by John Moore that attributes much of Starbucks success to it's corporate culture.
READ THE ARTICLE

Your Corporate Culture's Artifacts - What would Indiana Jones Say
by Dennis Snow
From Hospitality Net, August 2006
Dennis Snow presents an interesting way to think about, and quantify, your corporate culture; In terms of the artifacts and other marks it leaves around the organization.
READ THE ARTICLE

Retailer Sets Customer Service Standard
by Connie Glaser
Bizjournals.com, Sept 11, 2006
Nordstrom has long been lauded as a company with a unique and winning culture. However, this short article is interesting in that it gives some insight into the training program (a very short one) that underscores Nordstrom's customer service philosophy. It strikes us that Nordstrom must do an excellent job of hiring according to their culture, allowing them to instill great trust in their associates.
READ THE ARTICLE

Sheetz Continues Re-Inventing Convenience
by Shala Hebets
Convenience Store Decisions, www.csdecisions.com Sept, 2006
This article is a profile and question and answer piece of a company based in Pennsylvania called Sheetz, Inc. Sheetz owns 326 convenience stores in six states. CEO Stan Sheetz credits their success to the culture of innovation they have built at Sheetz, Inc. Most interesting is Mr. Sheetz statement that Sheetz strives to always better itself and "put the Sheetz of today out of business".
READ THE ARTICLE

JUST FOR FUN

A very successful businessman had a meeting with his new son-in-law. "I love my daughter, and now I welcome you into the family," said the man. "To show you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in my business. All you have to do is go to the factory every day and learn the operations."

The son-in-law interrupted, "I hate factories. I can't stand the noise."

"I see," replied the father-in-law. "Well then you'll work in the office and take charge of some of the operations."

"I hate office work," said the son-on-law. "I can't stand being stuck behind a desk all day."

"Wait a minute," said the father-in-law. "I just made you half-owner of a moneymaking organization, but you don't like factories and won't work in a office. What am I going to do with you?"

"Easy," said the young man. "Buy me out."

Quote of the Quarter
On Monday, October 9th, MSNBC.com ran the following headline in the "breaking news" section of the front page:

RECRUITING BOOST!
Army tops years' target for recruits by lowering test standards

We're not sure just what this says about the state of our military, but we hope none of you are taking these steps to fill your open positions!

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