I’m starting to quite look forward to the articles Richard Branson has in each issue of Canadian Business. They’re only one page, but crisp writing that has a quick nugget of wisdom with tales from his own life as an example.

Now that I am a consultant and dealing with clients directly (or as a sub-contractor for a larger organization) creating customer loyalty is immensely important so Weak links in the chain of good service was timely.

  • Delivering good customer service requires that a front-line worker receive supportive assistance from an entire network of co-workers—in effect, a chain reaction of teamwork, one that is consistent from beginning to end. And when it comes to helping a customer, the chain of assistance is only as strong as its weakest link.
  • But going the extra mile builds massive customer loyalty and brand-enhancing benefits.
  • While fiscal accountability is important, especially when an outlay of cash is involved, there will always be occasions when an asterisk needs to be marked on the balance sheet.
  • No company can train its front-end people to handle every situation, but you can strive to create an environment in which they feel at ease “doing as they would be done by.”
  • Good customer service on the shop floor begins at the very top. If your senior people don’t get it, even the strongest links further down the line can become compromised, as the story shows.

Surprise! Culture is important!

Just because you are technically not obligated contractually to fix a bug in a third-party open source package your company relies on, this is the ‘extra mile’ that he mentions in the article.