I was driving down the main street where I live and noticed a car coming in the opposite direction with four brand new tires. How could I tell they were new? It was easy. I could see the white stickers revolving on the bottom of them as the car came towards me. As the car passed by my vehicle, I could also see that the "white walls" were still colored a pretty blue.
How much longer would it take to remove the white stickers and wash off the blue coloring that covered the white walls? Perhaps only a few extra minutes is all. So, why didn't the tire dealer do it? It probably just wasn't a priority. Ken Belanger, President of Belanger Tire, a Goodyear tire store in Westland, Michigan, makes it a top priority. He explains that he wants customers "to see what they get." Setting the pace means consistently doing the things that count to the customer.
I walked into a bank one day and was greeted by three consecutive employees. It made me feel good to be acknowledged. As simple as that sounds, those bank employees were setting a new pace for other banks to follow. They were doing something different-making their customers feel important.
Just yesterday, our real estate person, who helped us buy the house my family now lives in, stopped by to say "hi." He commented on how nice our new flower garden looked, and praised me on all the little improvements we had made on the outside of the house. It's been a little over five years since we purchased our home. It seems that he makes it a habit to stop by or to call me at once or twice per year. Is that unusual in the real estate business? You bet it is. This person is a pace setter.
How about your company? Is it doing the best that it can? Is it setting the pace for the competition to follow?
How much longer would it take to remove the white stickers and wash off the blue coloring that covered the white walls? Perhaps only a few extra minutes is all. So, why didn't the tire dealer do it? It probably just wasn't a priority. Ken Belanger, President of Belanger Tire, a Goodyear tire store in Westland, Michigan, makes it a top priority. He explains that he wants customers "to see what they get." Setting the pace means consistently doing the things that count to the customer.
I walked into a bank one day and was greeted by three consecutive employees. It made me feel good to be acknowledged. As simple as that sounds, those bank employees were setting a new pace for other banks to follow. They were doing something different-making their customers feel important.
Just yesterday, our real estate person, who helped us buy the house my family now lives in, stopped by to say "hi." He commented on how nice our new flower garden looked, and praised me on all the little improvements we had made on the outside of the house. It's been a little over five years since we purchased our home. It seems that he makes it a habit to stop by or to call me at once or twice per year. Is that unusual in the real estate business? You bet it is. This person is a pace setter.
How about your company? Is it doing the best that it can? Is it setting the pace for the competition to follow?
By: Tom Borg
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