The Golden Rule for Customers
Posted by Becky Carroll on March 22, 2007
Many organizations struggle over which rules to create when it comes to dealing with customers and their concerns.
“What if a customer says …?”
“What do I do when the customer won’t …?”
Whether we are in customer service, sales, or marketing, anyone who deals directly with customers will reach a point where there is a conflict. Entire books have been written on how to treat customers better.
Jim Kleinfelder had a simple rule that he instituted for his company with respect to dealing with their customers (clients). Kleinfelder, Inc. is a privately-held professional services firm specializing in environmental and geotechnical engineering. Founding his business in 1961 as a materials testing service, Jim saw that while the company needed to be flexible enough to adjust to client needs, it also should adhere to a set of core values: honesty; integrity; respect for all individuals; exceptional client service.
Jim Kleinfelder’s golden rule when it came to a conflict with clients was this:
It’s not who’s right, it’s what’s right.
Forget about you and me – it’s about the end result to be achieved. Fourteen years after Jim’s retirement, this legacy is still alive and well at Kleinfelder.
The Golden Rule for Customers is simple yet powerful. It will support any organization building customer relationships based on integrity. And ultimately, that will translate into loyal customers.
(Photo uploaded by Scanty)
Donor Power Blog said
What to do if your donor is wrong
If you decide to empower your donors (in fact, even if you don’t) you’ll sooner or later come into conflict with a donor: Someone may want you to do something that’s not in your mission. Or a donor may seek