The Gauntlet
Every valued customer relationship eventually faces a moment of truth – that moment when something goes wrong.
It’s in that moment, when your promise has been broken, that your customer experiences the real culture of your business. What your company truly values is exposed.
When a business is young, every customer relationship is precious. Promises made to customers reflect a personal commitment and depth of caring that adds value to your offering and cultivates a customer’s trust.
As the business grows and matures, so does its awareness of risk. There’s more to lose. Policies are created to promote efficiency and protect what has been earned. Policies generate procedures, which then require a bureaucracy to manage them. Over time, to justify its value, the bureaucracy increasingly defends itself – often in such moments of truth.
What prevails in your moments of truth?
Is it your promised care for a valued customer expressed in your company’s values? Or, is it the risk-averse policy that claims to make things right, but is actually intended to protect your company?
Which approach reveals the truth about your culture? Which better creates value for the customer and for your business, enabling you and the customer to move forward together?
When your moments of truth arise, how does your business typically respond?
