Advertising Age Contributing Editor Mya Frazier interviewed Stephen Quinn, senior VP-marketing at Wal-Mart Stores. One question that was asked was answered in a way that I think will really help us on managing the touch points of our people with customers.
The question was: So can you control all the touch points?
Quinn's answered: "I'm learning you can't control [them all], and the distinction I can draw is there are so many people involved in touching the customer. You need to create a really compelling brand story and help the organization adopt that story so it can reflect the story you are trying to tell with the brand. If you try to figure out rules for every single touch point, you'd end up with binders filled with rules and stuff nobody would ever read."
This isn't the first time I've heard this type of response, but he says it very clearly. It goes back to what we talk a lot about on Mangersrealm concerning the purpose for our business existing; our Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
It's about creating such a compelling purpose for your business that employees adopt it as their own and thus reflect it to the customers they come in contact with. The purpose has to be real, not made up as a slogan. Slogan's can work only if their based upon reality.
The second part of his answer is also really important. Rules can't make anybody do anything. As he says, no one reads them anyway, so why write them.
All great companies have the understanding that rules will never create fantastic customer service. People have to want to do it. To want to do it means that the company has a great vision and purpose and that is what moves the employees to take care of customers far greater than their competitors.
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