The Consumer Power

While most companies talk about consumer friendliness, customer centricity, customer relationship etc. more often than not they are mere lip service or jargons with little sincerity behind these grand sounding words.

When a company lacks the sincerity to deal with their customers fairly, some one comes along and puts the company on the dock and though the trial by the customers may be long drawn out it is ultimately the death sentence for the brand or the organizations itself many a times.

There are hundreds of recorded cases of companies going down the tube in spite of the best possible product and high visibility promotions just because they failed to take care of the customers in all sincerity.

Jeremy dorosin and the Starbucks is a case in point where one single customer created a movement and media attention so wide that the company had to close shop.

Starbucks coffee simply refused to acknowledge the genuine grievance of a customer and laughed him off. In spite of their claims of people oriented service, they failed to note a genuine customer complaint. When Jeremy Dorosin went to the media and the internet, millions of affected customer whether of starbucks or other companies joined in to orchestrate their protest against the high handedness of big business? The unfairness was visible when Starbucks painted Jeremy Dorosin as a nut.

The company had to close shop ultimately and we now have the famous term Starbucked out of this customer victory.

Just do a search of the word Jeremy Dorosin in any search engine and you can read all about it.

The point that needs to be raised here is:

Can the customer be used like a whore? Use them and discard them when you feel like. Is he just a number; the more you have the better is your bottom line.

Or is the customer going to be an important component around which your business revolves.

Would you like to shortchange the customer for your short term profits?

Do you react differently to your customer and you as a customer?

Is your entire organization designed to revolve around the customer or only your Sales and Customer Care have to think about them and rest of the organization is trying to beat the customer orientation by an accountant mind set.

These are just the basic questions you need to ask yourself if you want to survive and profit from business. As Peter Drucker said almost 50 years back, Customer is Business.

Decide whether you want run a business or run out of it by forgetting the customer.

R.G. Srinivasan is a Certified Trainer, Writer and Author with more than two decades of managerial experience. He writes a regular blog on management thoughts which you may check out at http://management-thoughts.blogspot.com for interesting articles on management, managerial resources, strategies and experiences.

---

What You Need to Know About CRM

1. It's all about the customer. Some companies focus too... Read More

How To Boost Your Bottom Line With Two Little Words

I hate to sound like one of those cheesy get-rich-quick... Read More

Post Office, Incredible Lady Postmaster

There are two Post Offices that I routinely visit. One... Read More

What Every Employee Should Know About How to Win the Loyalty of Customers

Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, in his cassette album entitled, Win... Read More

11 Ways to Get What You Want - Be a Clever Customer!

We all want great service, whether we are buying our... Read More

Listen to Suggestions

If you are up to your ears in a stressful... Read More

Customer Neglect

What have you done for your existing customers lately? Probably... Read More

Developing A Customer Complaint System

Background The company was experiencing an increase in the number... Read More

Create a Positive, Upbeat, Can-Do Workforce and Dazzle the Customer with Your Caring!

Given the choice of dealing with a positive, upbeat employee... Read More

Under Promise & Over Perform: The Art of Managing Customer Expectations

I'll always feel warmly about Conrad's restaurant, in Glendale, California.On... Read More

Customer Service Consultants

When all else fails in your company to meet the... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Prevent Customer Service Conflicts

There are five techniques that have been proven to be... Read More

Keeping Clients Happy Keeps them Coming Back

Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More

10 Customer Service Quality Statements to Measure up Against

It might sound quick and simple, to say how well... Read More

Managing Your Business When One Client Takes Alot of Your Time

How often has your schedule been thrown out of whack... Read More

Who Says the Customer is Always Right?

We all know the old adage, "The Customer is Always... Read More

Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client!

Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every... Read More

One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day

What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More

Customer Service - A Sweet Essence

First let us specifically define customer service. It is the... Read More

To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe

Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget... Read More

Learning from Your Employees and Customers Complaints

Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a... Read More

Doesnt Anybody Work Here? Nametags Impact Employee Communication

Walmart was the first business to require all its employees... Read More

Mexico: Online Ordering?Dont!

I got it into my head sometime in December 2004... Read More

It?s Customer Service Stupid: Delivering Customer Service Training That Sticks

"Society is always taken by surprise at any new example... Read More

Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!

Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More

What Exactly is Customer Relationship Management?

The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor... Read More

The Sellers Creed

I will not make sales. I will make Customers.I will... Read More

Dont Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot

Q: In a recent column you made the point that... Read More

Proofs of Delivery and Logistics: Speeding Throughput and Avoiding Pitfalls

It should be a straightforward business scenario: making sure that... Read More

When the Customer Demands: Give a Discount or Lose the Order

Periodically every sales person encounters the customer who refuses to... Read More

Difficult Customers - Theres No Such Thing

A couple of years ago I had a call from... Read More

Dont Forget your Existing Clients

Quest for new clients shouldn't ignore those who pay the... Read More

Small Business Customer Service Can Work Against You

Is the special treatment you designed specifically to keep customers... Read More