Customer focus or employee focus…what’s most important to you?
For Richard Branson, it’s his employees:
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
For Jeff Bezos, it’s his customers:
“The most important single thing is to focus obsessively on the customer. Our goal is to be earth’s most customer-centric company.”
I see both points. Without customers, you don’t have a real business, but without employees you can’t take care of your customers.
This crisis has brought a renewed focus on taking care of your people. Some companies have forgotten who keeps them in business (employees and customers).
Standing out from your peers has never been easier; yet it’s never been harder.
As you dig yourself out of this and make a plan for going forward, how will you reconcile this on-going debate?
Customers first or employees first?
The right answer is: People always come first – employees and customers – you choose the order.
Focusing on the most important people in your business is more crucial today than ever.
