Your Customer’s Needs Are the Reason You’re in Business

The core of Six Sigma and what makes it successful its customer focus. Business improvements cannot happen without having an understanding of the customer. A clear understanding of customer needs, wants and is willing to pay for is required before you can make improvements.

Great customer service should be a year-round practice, but during the holidays where limits are tested, it should be the focus of every single person on staff. Without the customer or client, you wouldn’t have a business, so they should be treated like gold. Otherwise you run the risk of losing them, which would mean a loss in revenue for your business.

A True Story

Here is a true story that happened to a customer at a local drug store. This customer would spend an average of $150 per month at this drug store. Everyone knew this customer, so she wasn’t a stranger to the employees.

Since bringing your own shopping bag became popular, many people will opt for not having a bag, even if they did not bring one. So, this customer bought some small items, one of them being a Sharpie pen, and left.

A couple of days later, she brought back the receipt, and claimed that her Sharpie was missing. When she got home, she could not find it.

An assistant manager in charge said she would look at the videotape to see what had happened. After a few minutes, the manager came back and said that it showed that the customer had taken the pen after she had paid for it.

So, this customer who always shopped at this establishment was treated like a common shoplifter! The customer never saw the video, but the assistant manager did admit that that customer did pay for everything. Was that good customer service? Obviously not, since now that customer will not set foot in that drug store anymore. That one action cost that company $1,800-$2,400 a year, just from that one customer.

What happened? The customer probably dropped the pen on her way out, so it was an accident. But instead of trying to keep a great customer, the assistant manager lost a perfectly great customer for an 89 cent item. Plus, the customer suffered humiliation in front of the store staff.

Perhaps if the company took the time to familiarize themselves with Six Sigma and VOC tool (Voice of the Customer), they would have a financially prosperous future.

Interested in getting the basics on Six Sigma? Learn about our Six Sigma White Belt training courses today!