'The sound of the customer's voice is your salary cheque speaking' – Clive Simpkins
Is an individual or a division of your business doing damage to your reputation without you knowing about it? Could they, unknown to you be messing up even long-standing and valuable relationships with important clients? Chances are pretty good that the answer is 'yes'.
The people most likely to be villains of the piece are those in your admin or support services section – particularly your accounts department. The clerical mind-set is the opposite of the customer-centric approach needed to develop relationships and ensure a happy supply chain. They're in the main, bureaucrats, cops and rule-enforcers. Things must be done 'their' way. They often forget one crucial thing; it's not just customers or clients but also suppliers and service providers who contribute to their salary cheque and employment sustainability.
The bureaucrat is concerned only with her or his world running according to script. They typically lack flexibility. They don't, can't or won't think like an 'owner' in the business. If they were personally responsible for maintaining relationships to ensure salary survival they certainly wouldn't behave the way they frequently do.
I've twice this year had to threaten use of my access to the media to get (way overdue) payment for services that I provided to a particular multinational. First they changed (without consultation or notification) their payment terms to thirty days. A few months later it unilaterally went to fifty five days. This despite the fact that their internal accounts and procurement system is so inefficient that it can take ten days to get a purchase order (PO) number before you're actually able to invoice. So by the time you get paid, they've enjoyed your services and you acting as their bank for at least sixty five days. That's nothing short of corporate bullying and supplier exploitation. I don't accept that kind of unprofessional treatment from anyone. I picked up the phone to their European head office chairman and retribution came hurtling down the line at them. Miraculously, an inflexible accounting system was then able to pay me in half an hour. But why should one have to go through such time-consuming and relationship-damaging nonsense?
Regardless of your monopolistic position or your corporate power base – be respectful to people at all levels in your supply chain. Go read 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins and understand why some companies enjoy sustained growth and performance, staff stability and intensely loyal customers. It's because everyone plays to a script of dignity and mutual respect.
Years ago, a woman in a pharmaceutical company I consulted to mis-appropriated the power mantle of her boss. She treated everyone around her – and particularly suppliers – in an appalling manner. She'd commission work and then say 'I'm not the accounts department' when you followed through on outstanding payments. She eventually got the heave-ho and started her own business. She then had the gall to e-mail all of us who'd suffered at her hand to invite us to purchase stationery from her. Her business never got off the ground. Nobody would even give her the time of day. A poor and short-sighted relationship investment in her future received its legitimate return on investment.
This begs the question: What kind of relationship investment deposits are your employees and colleagues making on your behalf or in your name, to the detriment of your business – probably without you knowing? Maybe time to conduct a client, supplier and stakeholder survey on their perceptions of your business?
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