Your boss may be the one that signs your paycheck but the reality is that your customers are your ultimate boss.
Last weekend, my family and I ordered a pizza from Papa Murphy’s. They are a pizza chain where you pick up the pizza and take it home and bake it yourself. I called up the store to place my order. The employee answering said, “What can I get for you, boss?”
I don’t remember being called that before during a retail experience and thought it was noteworthy. After I placed my order, he said, “You got it, boss.”
Although some may say his tone was too casual, this Papa Murphy’s employee was right: the customer is the boss. Here is why:
- You Serve the Customer’s Wants
In customer-business interactions, the business provides something of value to the customer in exchange for payment. If you don’t provide what the customers want, they will go somewhere else.
In my example, the employee got right to the point and asked what I wanted. Asking customers that open-ended question is a great way to start the conversation. You don’t have to guess what they want, they will give you something to start with.
- You Do What the Customer Needs
You would do what your boss told you to do, right? Your job may very well depend on it. The same is true with your customers. Your business exists to meet the needs of customers.
Give Customers the Title
In your next interaction with customers, think of them as “the boss.” You don’t have to call them that, but it will help put your relationship in perspective and will help foster a customer-focused culture.