The Customer Is #1 And Other Silly Slogans
I was at a Burger King a few years ago and I asked them for a Whopper without the meat (at the time I was a vegetarian). The cashier’s first impression was a look of shock and disgust. After she was over her shock she then proceeded to tell me that the Veggie Whopper would cost me about $1.00 more than a regular Whopper! I told the woman that charging more for less is ridicules and that I thought I could get it “my way!” After that she found a way to give it to me for the same price as the regular Whopper.
Every time a company says that the customer is #1 I always ask “really?” It reminds of of the guy that always talks about how good he is at sports but won’t ever play you in a pick up game with out making excuses. It’s all fluff and no substance; you have to have a big game if you’re going to talk a big game.
If the customer is really important to the company then you can prove it easily. Your customer should be happy, your process are all designed around maximizing value to the customer, and your supply chain should be adapt to meet the customers’ needs quickly and efficiently.
I know Dr. Deming wasn’t a big fan of slogans and I have to agree with him. What are some other ways to really make the customer #1?