No. 1071 - GREAT SERVICE - LARGE TIP!
No. 1071
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
GREAT SERVICE – LARGE TIP!
The famous American poet, Walt Whitman (1819-1892), once said, “There’s a man in the world who is never turned down, wherever he chances to stray; he gets the glad hand in the populous town, or out where the farmers make hay; he’s greeted with pleasure on deserts of sand, and deep in the isles of the woods; wherever he goes there’s a welcoming hand … he’s the man who delivers the goods.”
Back in Walt Whitman’s day, the United States of America was still a fledgling nation, but our forefathers had the wisdom to devise a system of government where commerce and industry could thrive. This came to be known as the American Free Enterprise System. This system has given more people more opportunity and more prosperity than any other in the history of the human race.
There is a simple economic concept embedded in this system, and when we truly understand it, it can mean the difference between success or failure, prosperity or relative poverty. This concept is to understand who the real “BOSS” is. The real boss in our economic system is the customer.
If you want to see this concept in action, just dine at a quality restaurant some time and observe the waiters and waitresses as they perform their job, especially when they depend on tips for a good portion of their income. Most diners feel some obligation to give the customary 15 percent gratuity, but not all of us do, especially when the food or service is not up to par.
On the other hand, when the service is exceptional or outstanding, we go above the “customary” and are a little more generous. It’s all about understanding who the “boss” is, and I have just used the restaurant scenario as one example. It permeates our whole economic system.
Whether you are a customer, a manager or an employee, if you don’t know and understand who the real “boss” is, you are going to suffer economically for the rest of your life. While you may not fit any of these categories, I know you want the very best products and services you can receive. In fact, every person deserves the very best when they spend their hard-earned money.
To put what I am saying into simple language, please allow me to share something a friend send me a while back titled “The Customer,” that is certainly worth thinking about. “The customer is the most important person in our business. The customer is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him. The customer is not an interruption of our work; he is the purpose of it. The customer does us a favor when he calls, we do not do him a favor by serving him. The customer is part of our business, not an outsider. The customer is not someone to argue or match ‘wits’ with. The customer is the person who brings us his wants. The customer deserves the most courteous and most attentive treatment we can give him. The customer is the person who makes it possible to pay our salaries. The customer is the lifeblood of this and every other business.”
That’s the end of it, but this could be a wonderful business philosophy to frame and hang up where all employees can see it. It’s true. If we don’t take care of the “Customer,” the customer will take care of us by not coming back. It really comes down to our attitude, and we should be grateful for the opportunity to achieve success in the greatest nation in the world.
As Paul Harvey once said, “In America, any person can reach for the stars if they are willing to stay on their toes.” But back to my earlier thought, because it is also true: Great Service – Large Tip.
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