It shouldn't be about the money

It may be shocking to hear the idea that business isn't about money. Of course, money is part of the equation, but it is a fruit, not the primary goal. A couple of weeks ago, my bicycle seat was stolen. So I drove to the local bike shop and asked for a new seat and seat post. Unfortunately, the salesman told me there are 20 different diameters of posts. He would need to measure the bike to get the right fit. This involved driving home and riding the bike to the shop. If you've ever tried to ride a bike without a seat (standing up), you'll know it is challenging work and generally an uncomfortable experience.

When I returned to the shop, the salesman measured my frame and got me the seat post and a new seat. Thinking about the unpleasant experience of riding to the store, I asked the salesman if he could please attach the seat to the post so I could ride home correctly. He told me that I would need to take it to the service department and pay "a couple of bucks" (not to mention wait in a long line) to get it attached. We're talking about 30 seconds of effort — one Allen bolt to tighten. I was upset. I didn't bother to get the seat attached, and during the ride home, thoughts like "I'll never spend another dime at that place" were running through my head.

Trying to get a couple of bucks out of me could cost this business a lot of money. This is an example of how much it can cost to pay attention to the bottom line rather than creating a feeling of satisfaction in your customers.

The goal of a business should be to create quality. Their goal should be to be the best bike shop in the world. That goal could be broken down into parts, and a system should be designed to facilitate the movement toward the overall goal. Companies spend a lot of money on advertising and marketing, trying to get people in their doors and trying to convince customers what a great business they are to deal with. Then they overlook the proper training of their staff to recognize the essential marketing opportunities: the real-time interactions with the customers in the store.

How does this get changed? From the top, management must realize that it is worth creating a magnificent customer experience and spend the time and resources necessary to educate the staff and communicate the business's mission statement and goals to all staff. They need to be trained to recognize how their small actions and attitudes can profoundly impact the business.

To have a successful business, forget about money for a little while. Focus on creating a quality experience for your customers. What's the best you can do for them in every interaction they have with you (and don't forget about web-based and e-mail interactions)? If you take care of this, the brand you build in your customer's hearts and minds will translate into a constant source of money in your business's bank account.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a good rest of the day!

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