Success in business is often compared to
a horse race, and there is no higher
achievement in the world of thorough-bred racing than winning the Triple Crown —
the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the
Belmont Stakes.
It takes all three to claim the prize, and only
11 horses have done so in the history of the
events. The winners of the 2007 Smart
Business World Class Customer Service
Award will have earned the first places of
honor among equally rarified company.
Obviously, you must first have a horse that
is sleek and beautiful and fast as the wind. We
have that covered here at Metro Lexus with
our stable of the world’s finest vehicles, but
any product or service can be equally competitive with the right jockey in control.
The first and most important race, call it the
Kentucky Derby, can only be won with a customer-centered culture. From its inception,
Lexus realized that building luxurious, high-performance vehicles was just the price of
admission. What would truly set its brand apart was a superb level of customer service,
and Metro Lexus is proud to have been
among the founding dealers that pledged to
treat “each customer as we would
a guest in our homes.”
This simple philosophy has
served us well over the years, as
evidenced by countless awards
and an ever-widening circle of satisfied customers.
The second challenge, the Preakness, proves the adage, “Breed the
best to the best.” In the world of
busines,s this refers to identifying and hiring
the best people and providing them with the
best training. Metro Lexus supplements
national and regional programs with in-house training to ensure the highest level of
associate performance. In addition, we have
implemented programs to recognize, reward
and retain these valued employees. This
comes from the realization that each employee is crucial to building and maintaining lasting relationships with our customers.
The final contest, the Belmont Stakes, represents the need for continual improvement.
This requires an ongoing and almost fanatical
level of self-examination and evaluation. Management retreats, attitude surveys and suggestion boxes
can all be used to gauge progress.
At Lexus, we call it the “relentless
pursuit of perfection,” and it is our
undying desire to optimize our customers’ experience at every level.
Owner, trainer, jockey, stable boy
— one thing they have in common
is the desire to see their horse in the winner’s
circle, race after race. How can you do it in
your business? Focus on the customer,
employ the best people and constantly look
for new and better ways to deliver your
goods or services. Those are the three secrets
to winning the crown and creating a legend.
Listen carefully. Can you hear the bugle
calling you to the post?
DAN PYLE is managing partner of Metro Lexus, title sponsor of the World Class Customer Service
Awards. Reach him at (216) 916-6000 or [email protected].
