There are many reasons Organizations strive to
accomplish significant and meaningful improvements. Without a doubt, actions of
the leadership team set the pace and guide the direction of change. The moment
Art Byrne became the C.E.O of Wiremold in 1991, the very first
thing he instilled into the mindset of his management and staff was;
Productivity=Wealth
As simple as this statement seem, it is very
powerful because it brought about a certain mindset. Productivity is a key
economic factor in terms of fighting inflation, staying above the competition
on the global basis, and promoting business growth. This is what the Toyota
Motor Company has done so well over the years. In other to be competitive, all
organizations need to work with an ongoing sense of renewal.
One of the most meaningful ways to distinguish an
organization is to have the people inside gain a better understanding of the
voice of customers.
The fact that every Organization wants to deliver
business excellence, higher customer satisfaction and superior profit might not
be enough to move any organization above the competition level.
With the everyday change in product, services and
taste of customers, any organization will have to move above what they are
presently giving. Sometimes we might think we are actually meeting customers’
need until a new product or service is introduced with a new near zero defects.
Only then do we realize our services or products actually have more than 5
percent defect. For every product produced there is always improvement.
Organizations however, do not have to wait until
another product or service set the pace or dictates which direction we should
move or push us out of the market.
The Nigerian Telecommunication
industry is a perfect example; when MTN (one of the major players in that
industry) came, calls were very expensive because their charges were expensive.
They realized an outstanding profit in a short while though, it never lasted
when Globacom arrived, they introduced per-seconds billing and MTN lost
some of their customers to Globacom who forced them (MTN) to introduce per-seconds
billing too. Per-seconds billing was already obtainable, the technology was
already available, but they didn’t offer their subscribers that option until Globacom
said it was possible to pay for exactly the number of minutes calling.
Globacom dictated
the pace of the market for a while too until per-second billing era
made no more sense but better services and cheaper calls era came.
Etisalat came with this offer. Sure they must have done their research and
weighed what is obtainable.
I just got
an Etisalat
line, not just for their subscriber’s friendly packages but for their adverts,
promo and creativity; I enjoy listening to all their adverts that I feel so proud
carrying an Etisalat line. Let me be blunt, I’ve thought about throwing my MTN line away
several times and I can’t imagine how many more Nigerians are thinking just
this way.
I believe company’s services or products reflect
what motivates the investors, either for solution or just profit maximization.
Those with the profit maximization mindset will only carry out campaign
influenced by this mindset.
My Point
Microsoft came into the IT world with solution in
mind and the reward cannot be over emphasized. Investors that want to make
money should only focus on solutions. Profit is inevitable with customer’s
satisfaction and loyalty.
People (Customers) + Satisfaction
= Profit (Wealth)
I believe Breakthrough can be attained and
maintained if Management in any organization can adopt Caring for
Customers from planning to sales or service delivery. Even if your
organization is the first in the industry:
1. Are Ford products better and cheaper
than Toyota or Honda products?
2. Are ford products customer
caring oriented?
3. If I stand in any Nigerian neighborhood,
how many Ford do I see and how many Toyota do I see within five minute?
In my compound, there are four Toyotas and a Honda
Civic but can’t even think of the last time I set my eyes on a Ford.
Care driven
organizations will forever drive in loyal customers. Loyal customers imply
profit and market leadership.
Uduak Akpan
