On September 26^th I submitted my first post to Avnet’s Customers Matter Blog.  To be very honest I had no idea what I was doing.  So I wrote my first entry “Do your leaders really believe in customer service”.  The intent of the blog entry was to determine if leadership walked the walk when it came to customer service.  I have always been a big fan of those who walk their talk.  I had four comments to that entry and thank goodness for my two sons, who made three of the four entries to get me startedJ.

Our Business is Built on Customers

This post represents the 41^st post and it is bitter sweet.  Seventy-Seven days ago, I changed job assignments at Avnet.  I have gone from a staff position to a line job with P&L responsibilities, as a result I will be leaving the Customer Loyalty position I held since July 1st of 2008.  It is amazing that a year has past since I started in the role.   The greatest opportunity the customer loyalty job provided me was working with my colleagues in Europe and Asia.  The concept of Customer Loyalty varies by region in the world.  The most important advice I would give anyone in a role like this is to remember the world is not like the US and just because it works here doesn’t mean it will work globally.  I would like to thank Roy and Rick for giving me the opportunity to be on their staff and to continue to contribute to make a difference.

A Toast to All of You

I would also like to thank Jeff and Phil for the opportunity to run the business unit in San Antonio.  I had the pleasure of leading this team five years ago and I thank them all for the warm welcome they gave me on my return.  I want to wish Tony the best in his new assignment and that his wife Lori continues to recover from her battle with cancer.  After 77 days with the team, I am happy to report that results, attitude and smiles are growing as we slug our way out of the toughest economic time we have ever experienced.  In 2009, we still have some wood to chop, but given some of the economic indicators there are signs of improvement.  I pray for us all that we continue to fight and improve our position.  In my humble opinion attitude is the biggest weapon one can leverage during tough times.

Live Your Life as a Role Model

In the end was it worth it?  You bet it was and it was because of you.  Let me conclude with one of the most important lessons of my role in customer loyalty and that is to say “thank you” to all of you.  The Customers Matter blog was just a dream with no real certainty of success or interest on the part of folks to see what we had to offer.  At this time, I am happy to say that we have had 10,500 visitors to the site and 4000 unique visitors.  On Twitter, Customers Matter has 706 followers, who for the most part are fans of the customer experience.  So thank you to you all.

So what is the fate of Customers Matter?  Fear not, Customers Matter will continue to live on.  Later this week I will be officially transferring the Customer Loyalty responsibility and Customers Matter blog to Michelle Gardner.   Michelle is a seasoned veteran from our Westminster, CO. office.  She is very customer focused, well versed in quality (black belt) and loves to make a difference through people.  I ask that you support her as you have me.

In the End it is All About People!

Again thank you for the learning opportunities you provided me.  I wish you and your families the very best!  Bless you all!  Fj

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, Employees, General, Leadership, Shareholder Value, Value Proposition

There is something to be said about the fact that we have two ears and one mouth.  It is also interesting to know that we seem to use our mouth more than our ears.  It has been written that mouth or more specifically our words can cut like knives to those we are speaking to.  We may be acting and directing without fully understanding the situation.

Listening is Important with Family

As a father, I have been blessed with 5 wonderful children and I am repeatedly tested in the area of listening.  It is not unusual for the immediate reaction in a difficult situation to bark first and listen last.  I learned a valuable lesson from a friend, one that said there are always two sides to every story.  The reality of that wisdom is it is always true.  The truth is always in the middle of the two versions of truth.

Therefore, listening and thinking, before speaking can be a skill that all of us can develop.  It may also lead to a virtue called patience.  There is something to be said for the calm thoughtful approach to a situation rather than a reactionary display with only knowing half the facts.  I know this first hand as I have reacted to a situation in emotional way only to end up learning the second version of the story and having to say oops.

Dad would you please Listen?

All this reminds me of a story of a father who came home to find a window broken and a baseball as the cause.  In walks the son with bat in hand.  The father assessing the situation, puts two and two together and determines a spanking is in order for the guilty party.  The father feeling justified in his action sits down to read the afternoon paper.  In comes the wife who has come from the neighbor’s house to inform the husband that the window was broken by, yes you guessed it, the neighbor’s kid.  Oops!

Listening is the key to learning.  It helps with understanding a situation, the potential causes and effects, but more importantly the course of resolution.  Getting back to my kids, it seems the most effective approach has been to speak softly, ask probing questions for clarity and respond once all the facts are gathered.  In the end I have learned it is not about being right or about who can be the loudest in the protest that abounds.  In the end it is the lesson of life that should prevail.  In the end you want them to learn so that they continue to grow and mature as human beings.

Listening to the Channel

Listening in customer situations is no different.  The need to listen to what they say is important but to take it to another level is to really hear what they are saying.  When you encounter a difficult customer situation you have to take the emotion out of it and don’t personalize it.  They are calling because they have a problem and need help.  The best course of action is to let the customer say what is on their mind.  When they are done repeat it back so they know you heard what they said.  They will either confirm it or give you further clarity.  I would also add sincere empathy for their situation.  I have found that in 90% of the cases when customers call the most important thing they want is to be heard and feel that who they are talking to cares about their situation.

Happy Fathers Day!

Today is a great day as my daughter reminded me about the importance of listening.  Business and life are full of interesting situations that have us reacting without the full story.  My advice is to listen, learn and respond with wisdom and love.  In the end, with family we want to provide a greater learning opportunity and with customers the ability to serve them well based on hearing what they are really saying.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers of the World!

Posted under Customers, Employees, General, Leadership

An organization exists to serve customers by developing products and services that address their needs.  Involving customers in the development of new products or services is critical to the success of a company.  The information they provide you regarding features, benefits, delivery and services will enable you to further refine your products or services and create a competitive advantage. 

Evolving Solutions

We created a customer advisory council to provide us with their feedback on new products or services we are considering.  As an example, we shared an idea with our council that involved creating a customer portal for ordering products.  We were focused on creating efficiency, speed and quality that enabled customers to order products easily over the web.  This simple enhancement would allow us to redirect dollars that supported operational functions to innovational activities.  The funding would be directed at creating new products and services that would benefited our customers.

The council liked the idea, but suggested that in addition to the portal, they wanted us to extend the access to their customers.  The concept of a self service model would extend to their ultimate customers as well.  The suggestions from the council would have never taken place had we not created a forum for their feedback.

QCM

We are in the process of implementing the customer store front portals.  We have created capabilities for our customers to allow their primary customers to shop for products on their website.  It has the same look and feel that their customers are used to, but it is powered by our company in the background.

The outcome is a self serve model that makes it easy for their customers to enter orders.  It’s an automated sales engine that sources products from our inventory.  Our customers do not have to carry the inventory, which makes it a benefit to their working capital and cash flow.  It allows them to keep their sales team focused on high value, high margin opportunities for their customers.

In this example, there were no new products sold to our customers.  What was delivered was a procurement solution that served as a vital connection between our customers and theirs.  The outcome was an innovative product sourcing system that had resulted in lower cost delivery, increased sales and customer loyalty.  Involving customers in product and service innovation can create a win win situation for a business and its customers.  By involving your customers, it allows you to focus on what is important to them and meet or exceed their expectations.

Posted under Business & Process Innovation, Customers, General, Value Proposition