Maintaining a “customer service mentality” in the marketplace has to first begin with leaders and the behaviors that they themselves exhibit. That gives the organization — throughout the organization — the ability to act and model that behavior. And this is not just limited to those on the front lines caring for customers in distress.
In our lives, we remember the companies, the people and the times when we were honored…. as a friend, as a partner, as a customer. Two-way trust, open and honest communication and fearless sharing are cornerstones of the relationships that come to mean the most to us.
These feelings hold just as true in the relationships we have with the people we hold dear in our lives, as the people that we do business with.
Here are some tips and examples of great company leaders who are accomplishing this now:
OVO Energy practices transparency
OVO Energy in the UK practices a level of transparency called “radical transparency” with customers by opening up their pricing plans to the public, outlining exactly what the energy costs are to them, so customers feel equity in what they are paying. As a result, they are earning customer raves and growth and the admiration of employees who now know to model the same behavior in their actions.
Luscious Garage inspires trust
Luscious Garage brings the technician and customer together as partners making decisions. As a result, they have eliminated that phone call of waiting for the ‘final’ estimate of the car repair, turning the experience instead into one of collaboration, trust, and even joy. This elevates the role of the traditional person in the garage from mechanic to a trusted partner.
Union Square Hospitality Group leads by example
Danny Meyer who runs the Union Square Hospitality Group proves how companies with business practices and employees that deliver values-based and human experiences significantly beat the S&P 500. But the key to growing in this manner is leadership. Leaders must build a company that believes that doing the right thing is the right way to grow.
As customers, we desire to give our trust to companies who trust us back. We seek out companies whose employees are given permission to do the right thing, and where we are honored as assets. We breathe a sigh of relief and gratitude when “Gotcha!” moments are flipped to “We’ve got your back” moments. We applaud accountability because we know that everyone makes mistakes. And we thank goodness for the companies who level the playing field and give us information to prosper.
Taking this type of high road in leadership is a choice.
Originally published on Quora.