Customers or Employees

Joann felt the need to prioritize who came first between her customers or employees, she chose her employees.

Her business is a mid-size supplier to restaurants and other foodservice accounts. Her belief isn’t based on ignorance of the importance of being customer-centric, but she has a simpler view that on the surface makes sense.

“My customers will only be treated as well as I treat my employees. If they are respected, happy and supported, they’ll do the same for those we serve. It is that simple.”

Joe managed a company of architects who put his customers first, even if it meant that his employees had to work overtime often and were frequently overwhelmed. He knew that he had to make his customers satisfied to keep the doors open, and had to do everything to meet their needs. His argument also makes sense.

“Without happy customers, what do I have? A room filled with happy employees waiting for assignments.”

But is it that simple? Is this really more of a question of AND not OR? Why can’t both be true at the same time?

And Not Or

Joann and Joe and many other business leaders understand that as their business scales and expand, they can’t possibly engage with every customer. They depend on their employees to build those relationships. Employees who feel disrespected, poorly treated and unhappy, can’t possibly do what is best for the business.

But at the same time, a team of happy employees and dissatisfied customers is a recipe for disaster. Businesses that offer clear, simple strategic guide rails often win. Allow employees to determine how to meet their needs and the needs of customers. Both things can be true at the same time. 

Choosing employee happiness over customers, or vice versa is like choosing between your left leg and your right. To move forward, you need both of them working together. Who takes the first step isn’t as relevant.

Customers or employees? Who comes first is a false choice.

Pick your metaphor, but without employees, customers and stakeholders all working in alignment, you are apt to fall. You can’t walk forward if you just use your left foot.

Three Simple Questions

• What’s the Higher Vision: Do your employees (or direct reports) feels they understand the higher mission of the organization and do they have the latitude to adjust, adapt and be flexible to meet customer needs? Is it clear where they are walking?

• Are You Listening: Do they take pleasure in their work because they are heard and listened too? When managers listen to concerns and work toward accommodating those needs, everyone is being served. Are you working hard at hearing about obstacles and clearing their path?

• Managing the Workload: Do you keep burdening them with more work without giving them the resources they need to be effective? Sometimes we add to the to-do list for direct reports without helping them sort through the timing, priorities, and urgencies. An effective strategy can be removing one thing from someone’s workload before you add another project. Or, at a minimum, help prioritize frequently so they know what is urgent versus necessary. Make sure your managers and supervisors understand that moving forward is the goal, not carrying more weight?

Business, like life, requires balance. Most decisions aren’t black or white and sometimes you can hold two conflicting ideas together at the same time. Think AND not OR.

Customers or Employees

Managing requires taking steps forward by getting both legs walking in harmony. The role of leaders, managers, and supervisors is to make sure everyone is walking along the right path as they stride toward a common goal.

Do you have a balanced approach between how you treat your customers and employees? Are things out of step?  You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing, communications and messaging challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com  Call me. 919 720 0995.  The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question

Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash