Chapter 1
Consistency
BC: Let’s talk about the first
“C”, Consistency. What do you
mean by that?
SM: With Consistency, I’m
talking about consistent products and consistent service, every time. That’s what your
customers are looking for, consistency. They
want that product to be the same every time they walk into the store. They want the service that they get to be the
same every time they walk into the store.
And so you as a business owner, as a business manager, you have to work
to develop consistency.
Now when
we talk about consistency as far as the product is
concerned, here’s an example. Say you own an ice cream
shop, and you make a
chocolate malt for a customer. Now the
customer liked the malt, so when they come back the next day,
they’ll expect that malt to be like the one they got
the day
before. And if they come in a
month from now, they expect
that chocolate malt to be the same. The same taste, the same
flavor, the same
amount, the same consistency. Customers
expect the product to be the same, regardless of when they go
to get it. We are all aware of a well-known fast food
chain that
thrives on consistency. It
doesn’t matter where you are, in
what part of the country, you know when you
walk into that
restaurant the hamburger and fries are going to be the same.
It’s going to be made the same, taste the
same. That’s what
we’re talking about
when we talk about consistency as far as
the product is concerned.
Also when we talk about consistency,
we talk about service.
You have to treat
your customers the same every time. You
have to be glad to see them every time. Your
customers have
to be getting the same level of service in the same timeframes,
all the time. Even if you’re having
“bad” day, your customers
expect you to be pleasant, friendly, and professional every
time they do business with you. Consistency in service is an
absolute key to running a successful business.
Something else a lot of small business owners don't think
about is consistency in dealing with employees. You want to
treat those who work for you the same. You don't want to
show favoritism one way or the other. Set policy, set rules,
and require all employees to adhere to them. That will create
consistency when dealing with employees.
BC: That’s
a lot to think about. So, how does a
business
owner make sure they are being consistent in those areas that
you
discussed?
SM: There are two keys: Clear
Expectations and Adequate
Training. When
we say clear expectations, that means that
everyone, from customers to employees, has to know what's to
be expected.
When a customer comes in to get a product or service, they
have to know exactly what it is that you're going to be
providing. And that has to be clear. When you're dealing
with your employees, it has to be clear as to what's expected of
them. You have to have guidelines that say exactly what you
expect. These are the things that you are going to be expected
to do.
So that’s the first key, clear
expectations. Customers have to
understand
what it is that they are getting, and employees
have to understand what is
required of them. The second key
to
developing consistency in your business operations is to
provide adequate
training. First you make it clear what
is
expected, then you provide the training.
Now you might say,
“How do I train my customer about the product that we
serve?”
First, and foremost, you have help your customer
understand how the
product will be served. Now some
customers will question what you do.
They’ll say, “Well, when
I was in San Antonio, I got my pizza cut in
squares,” or “When
I was in New Orleans, I got my shirts put on paper
hangers.”
But you, as the business owner
or manager, have to let
customers know that you serve your pizza in slices, or
that you
put shirts on wire hangers, and this is how you’re going to do
it for them. And so you train your customers.
BC: That’s
an interesting concept. I think you have
to be
careful not to offend your customers though.
SM: Oh,
I agree, but the clearer you make it upfront, the less
likely you are to have
problems later.
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