Where Does Customer Service Begin?

In a recent blog Anna Farmery questions whether companies that claim to treat their employees like customers have it completely the wrong way round. 

While encouraging them for their positive efforts to build employee engagement she states that true brand engagement comes when

"Companies treat their customers like employees."

Now long time readers (thanks Mom!) will know that this is a message I have been banging on about for ages.  I have written previously about the lessons that can be learned from reading "The Customer Comes Second" by Hal Rosenbluth, (which I think should be made compulsory reading for all business executives) and the need to get these priorities right.

You will therefore understand why the doom and gloom of current news bulletins get me onto my soapbox. Times are tough, but what are companies thinking that are laying off people like trees shedding leaves in winter? How can they expect to offer superior customer service or a great customer experience, if they show their people so little respect? Do they really not understand that customer service is always, only, solely and totally about people and the inter-action of people? 

That is why I have created my new Alternatives to Redundancy website to identify the fact that there are other options. Of course I am not saying it will be easy, but, if you do take greater care of your people, it will follow as day follows night that your people will take better care of your business.  So I invite you check out my new website, download the free guide, "Why Redundancy is Bad for Business, Even in a Downturn" and take up the cause with us.

Anna and I cannot be the only ones with this philosophy. So please share your ideas and stories and let's do everything we can to stop the insanity and reduce the ultimate impact of the economic downturn. The more people that lose their jobs, the longer any "recession" will last – and the worse customer service will get and the worse our customer experience will be!