The Customer is NOT always right - Partnership versus Customer Service!

I recently read a great article by Danny Iny.  In that article, he points out that the customer is not always right.  He also says there is a big difference between customer service and partnership.

Mt. Ararat (Agridag)- 17,000 ft mountain in Turkey

Ⓒ Photo by Dane Deutsch

At Deutsch's Inc., we are in the "people business" and all of our businesses (i.e.- DCS Netlink, Deutsch's Gymnastics, and Leadership Management Development Center) focus on partnerships not pure customer service.  So, I totally agree with Danny Iny.

I am not a professional climber by any stretch of the imagination, but I had the privilege of climbing Mt. Ararat (17,000 ft dangerous climb - which in Turkish, Mt. Ararat is called Agridag, which means "mountain of pain") during the 5 years I lived in Turkey.  Having made that climb, I can tell you that what Danny says about the difference between customer service and partnerships is exactly right!  He says, "Think of it this way: If you were climbing Mt. Everest, customer service is your porter. Partnership is your Sherpa climbing guide."  Perfectly said!

In other words, your porter carries your supplies for a fee...strictly transactional.  However, your Sherpa climbing guide is your key to reaching your goal (i.e.- the mountain Peak) and getting back to base camp successfully and safely.  The relationship with the Sherpa is totally transformational and Trust is two way.  Big Difference!

At Deutsch's Inc. we are all about partnerships, NOT customer service as our primary goal.  Why?  Because as Danny says, "The goal of customer service is to make the customer happy. In contrast, the goal of a partnership is for the customer to achieve their goals. Buyer and seller are both focused on a goal that's bigger than the buyer. The customer's happiness is a by-product of achieving that goal."

Ⓒ Photo by Dane Deutsch

I want to encourage you to read Danny's full article here:  http://www.inc.com/danny-iny/the-biggest-customer-service-mistake-you-don-t-know-you-re-making.html?cid=email

I also encourage you to read Danny's book:  https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Grow-Rich-Knowledge-Freedom/dp/1541232518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486571501&sr=8-1&keywords=danny+iny

And as always, focus on leading with Character First!  To learn more about how to lead with character first, grow relationships, leadership and teamwork, you can pick up a copy of my new book called "The Tricycle Effect" on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Tricycle-Effect-Significant-Productive-Successful-ebook/dp/B01N91PPL0/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=coach0e1-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=46359a1675537eea4e7912907092a781&creativeASIN=B01N91PPL0  

or visit my website at:  www.thetricycleeffect.com

Thanks for letting me serve as your Sherpa during this short "blog."  Keep leading with Character First!  Trike On and Smile On!

Accountability - What's that? And, why should I care?

Accountability....What is that?

Uh Oh!!  Another thing to add to my ToDo List.  I can't keep up now, so how can I manage accountability?  Every hear yourself say or ask something similar in your own life?

This is the reaction to interesting questions almost every leader has made in this day and age.  In reality, the real questions need to be, "How do I lead and manage with accountability?"  Why is it important and why is it important to me and the health of the organization, company and/or family that I lead?

When I am teaching, training, and coaching WatchGuard firewalls, VPNs, and Internet Security, the subject of trust and accountability comes up every time.  So many organizations, companies, and people have come to me in the last 6 months and without directly using the word "accountability," they were very concerned about things going on in their organization.  Think about it...trust can't develop to healthy levels if no one can be trusted to perform and execute on time when promised.  That is why we need accountability.

Leaders at all levels at one time believed that their people and teams were doing the right thing, but they may not have addressed accountability, nor did they "front load" accountability with the job description and expectation.  So now they are finding out that without the accountability, stuff never got done, or managed or executed on time.  That is generally what leads to disappointment and miscommunication in the end, which then keeps a "culture of ownership" from developing.

All of those things that concerned these leaders really referred back to what we call accountability.  That is a big word, and has HUGE implications for the health and vitality of every organization, company, family and person.  Every leader needs to be very good at inserting accountability into their personal lives to grow and develop healthy trusting relationships with themselves, their family, and their companies...and no, it does not mean discipline...it is so much more than that.  Furthermore, they need to "front load" the accountability and expectations up front before the journey or task even starts.  Don't wait until the task is done or the event is over to think about accountability.  Building accountability and building it in pre-loaded beforehand is the tough stuff that great organizations and strong leaders know best and act on.

In this link to Lee Ellis' part 1 of his 6 part blog series on Accountability, he talks about:  Leaders and Accountability.

Lee says, "Even thought there are 14 lessons in my book, Leading with Honor, three foundational attributes rise to the top - character, courage, and competency.  To put it another way, the best leaders push through their selfishness and fear to skillfully do the right thing even when it's painful.  And part of doing the right thing is being accountable for one's actions."

To read more on the tough subject of accountability and why it is critical to healthy relationships in every person's life, visit Lee's blog at:

On Leaders and Accountability:  Notes from the Cliff - Lee Ellis on Leading with Honor

Until next time, "Keep leading with Character First." - Dane