Turning Your Company Upside Down

To have good customer relations, you must have employees who understand the mission of your business and feel they’re an important part of that mission. The typical business is set up with senior management at the top making policy and calling the shots. The policies trickle down through the levels of management to the “front-line” people-such as tellers and sales clerks. So those people, who often have the greatest degree of customer contact, often have the least feeling of ownership for the success of the company.

The “typical” business organization puts senior management at the top and those with the greatest degree of customer contact at the bottom. The customer is not even part of the organization.

The “upside down” organization makes the customer the priority. Senior management’s function is to support and motivate staff and thus support the customer.

With a different management model, Kantor helps companies turn the hierarchy around, conceptually putting senior management at the bottom to support and motivate the people who deal most directly with the focal point of the business – the customer. Kantor emphasizes that employees who feel a sense of ownership in the company, who know their opinions and welfare are valued, will take a personal interest in serving the customer. And employees who understand the purpose and vision behind the company are better able to represent that vision. Success Systems helps managers develop action plans that improve communication between employees internally to help them learn skills to deal with different kinds of people externally, and to help them realize what they each contribute to positive customer relations in the company.

Good employee and customer relations are essential in today’s marketplace not only for a less stressful environment, but to encourage repeat business, which ultimately increases the bottom line.