The Customer comes second (crikey!)

A bit of a strong statement, what I’d actually call a provocation.
The saying “Customer first” is becoming anachronistic. Tactical even. Operational yet others would say.
No, I’ve not lost my mind, those who know me know I have a strong inclination to listen, to resolve the problems of both my external and my internal customers.
The idea for this post came to me from a presentation by that genius Tom Peters, entitled “The customers come second”. Find it here.
I like it because it chimes fully with what Collins says on fifth-level leadership and on the theme of the corporation’s and the managements’ ability to listen.
But what does Peters say in a nutshell? First you have to build the team, recruiting the right people, those with the right mindset.
Motivated and happy with their job, their role in the organization, whichever one it is.
You have to build and manage an organization capable of supporting and responding to the market’s demands, even if not called for by the procedures and convention.
And then, but only then, can you focus on the client, who, in that sense, does come next.
For the simple reason that only then will you be able to serve and respect them, to support and help them. And earn their trust so that they come back to buy even more.
And from trust, confidence is born, from confidence, loyalty.
The business will grow naturally with the client who will find it only natural to grow with the business.
The client may come “second”, but only to the company’s ability to listen to them.
That genius Peters. I will have the opportunity to listen to him again on Tuesday morning, April 13th in Berlin where he will surely spark his “unconventional views” during his Supersession: "Excellence: Continuing the Search".