I read the article by Mr. Jeff Mowatt titled 'The Myth of Treating People Fairly and Equally' and it made an interesting reading. In his opinion all people must be treated fairly but not equally. I agree and disagree with him. Let me explain below.
Every business has its preferred customers. In the Swedish company Atlas Copco I worked for 32 years ago, we classified all our customers into 4 grades - 1,2, 3 and 4. Certain minimum values of yearly business was necessary to grade them under 3 and 4 categories, which meant they were large. The only computers around were mainframes. We had to make an annual sales visits plans in the beginning of the year. We didn't have to visit grade 1 and 2 customers. If some such customers were on the way in our route plan, we can call on them to say hi but not otherwise. We were dealing with industrial customers. But when small customers called on us, we treated them special. If a large and preferred customers came in at the same time they had to wait like any other customer. We were respected and admired for it.
In 1977, the company was rated the number 1 in customer service. We were one of the most highly profitable companies in India, though we were not big in size. As sales and service engineers, we had some facilities which even the biggest companies were not providing to their managers. We had status and others used to be envious of us. Customers who used to call on us were not all educated but could have bought people like me million times and then sold for a song and it would not even make a dent in their purse. We were all multi lingual and could speak different languages fluently. We were the best and treated like Kings by both the Company, Customers and Competitors.
His example of a store refusing to give change for a 100 dollar bill appears very strange. If any store adopts any such policy, it will definitely lose a lot of customers. One can't blame the teller if the policy is wrong. I have not come across anybody objecting to disabled customers being given a preferential treatment. Tell me are they getting a preferential treatment because they are preferred customers or is it out of pity ?
Let me tell you straight. I don't mince my words. Treating people fairly and equally is not a myth. Period. We can have our preferred customers but have to do it in a different manner. Hug and Kiss them if you want but when you are dealing with general public in a store, restaurant, hotels and in such public places, it will pay to treat people fairly and equally. Otherwise, you will never get new customers. Any business that does not generate new customers will be dead very soon.
© Copyright, Jul 20-08 . Without prejudice. All rights reserved
Treating People Fairly and Equally Is it a myth - To learn more about this author, visit Madhavan T Gopalachary's Website.
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Madhavan T Gopalachary
(Visit Madhavan's Website)
Madhavan Gopalachary, nick name "madgopes"
(g pronounced as in go) given by IIT
classmates, is a Mechanical Engineer and
an alumnus of Indian Institute of
Technology, Madras having passed out
specializing in IC Engines &
Thermodynamics.
He has nearly 35 years of experience in
the Corporate World. He started off as a
trainee and handled sales, marketing,
manufacturing, product management, profit
center management, strategic planning and
corporate development including R & D in
various organizations and at various
levels before becoming a CEO. His last two
professional assignments were at CEO level
before embarking to start management
consultancy business on January 01, 1998.
He has worked for British, Swedish MNCs as
well as very large Indian business houses.
He has spent a large portion of his time
from June 1998 till date in East African
Countries practicing as an independent
Management Consultant.
More details can be obtained at the
following web sites:
mmg.name
/mtg.html;
mmgconsu
lting.biz/
Madhavan's articles can be accessed at www.madgopes.com
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