I once used this rule as the subject of a blog post. I wrote about how one day you will wake up and realize that the small things in your life—like building warm, trusting relationships—were really the big things. I received more comments on that post than on anything else I have ever put up on the Web. The great majority thanked me for reminding them of how important the basics are and how easy it is to forget them.
Great companies and successful individuals alike keep a keen eye on the basics at all times. Like great athletes, they know that mastering the fundamentals makes all the difference between success and failure—that you can’t expect to hit a game-winning home run before you’ve mastered swinging the bat. In business, the seemingly small things are easy to overlook, but they can set your company apart from the competition and in turn increase your sales, your repeat business, and your bottom line. Why? Because to customers, the small things are the big things.
Take common hospitality, for example. Conrad Hilton once said, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” Can you get more basic than that? The Greek word for “hospitality” is philoxenia, which literally means “love of strangers.” Hospitable people love to offer the comforts of home to family, to friends, and especially to strangers. They have a gift for sensitivity and courtesy; they know how to make people feel at ease and welcome. The ancient Greeks believed that providing hospitality to strangers pleased the gods. I don’t know about the gods, but I assure you it will please the customers who come to your business.
If you want to know how important the basics are, watch a good hospital staff in action. When my wife, Priscilla, was in the Orlando Regional Medical Center (Orlando Health) for sixty-four days in 2008 and 2009, I sat with her in her room day and night. One day, I noticed that every nurse carefully used the disinfectant hand wash as he or she entered and exited the room. Sounds obvious, right? What could be more basic, particularly in a hospital, than washing our hands, something our mothers nagged us to do when we were growing up? But this is a huge deal because, as you can imagine, the simple act of hand washing dramatically reduces infection rates, which helps patients return to good health more quickly and sometimes even saves lives. It seems like a small thing, but the payoff is big: not only healthy, happy patients, but lower costs to the hospital and insurance companies.
Cleanliness may not be next to godliness, but it is—or at least it should be—a business basic everywhere. Obviously, that’s especially true if you’re running a hotel, a restaurant, or any other place food is served; when it comes to the food we put in our mouths, it may be the most important basic there is. But cleanliness is a key basic no matter what you’re selling—whether it’s insurance policies or advertising space or legal services or anything else. After all, which company do you think clients will do repeat business with, the one that makes its pitch in a sparkly clean office or the one whose offices and meeting rooms are a filthy mess? That’s why Bill Marriott, for whom I once worked, used to say, “Keep it clean and keep it friendly, and everything will work out just fine.” Walt Disney said basically the same thing. It seems almost too simple to bear mentioning. But that’s exactly the point.
Hand in hand with cleanliness are its close cousins, personal appearance and hygiene. Again, this is about as basic as it gets. Make sure everyone looks good and smells good. If they don’t, make sure you talk to them about it. I know, it’s a conversation no one likes to have, but the more you procrastinate, the more customers your unkempt employee will cost you. Your mother didn’t have trouble saying, “I hope you don’t think you are going out looking like that,” did she? Neither should a manager—or a colleague, for that matter. Every company, of course, has its own standards for appearance that fit its location, its image, and the customs of its clientele: a salesperson in a vintage clothing store in Brooklyn is not expected to look like the concierge at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. The point is to make sure your appearance—and, if you’re the boss or manager, your employees’ appearance—is consistent with the image you want to project to your customers.
Another basic every business should pay attention to is clear communication. Your communication skills are seen as a measure of your professionalism, intelligence, preparation, and character—all of which are major factors in how the customer, consciously or not, evaluates the company. First and foremost, you and every single person in your company should be able to communicate clearly with customers, both verbally and in writing. Clarity is the essence of communication; when you’re clear, there is no room for misunderstanding.
One of the most important communication basics that many companies forget is that it’s not enough just to convey important information; you need to convey it consistently and in a timely fashion. Southwest Airlines does this exceptionally well. It is common to hear a message like this on the sound system in their boarding area: “Your plane is arriving about fifteen minutes late, but we will hustle to get you in the air on time.” By constantly keeping passengers informed about departure times, delays, and changes in the schedule, they keep the anxiety level low and send the message that they really care.
Here is another example of clear and consistent communication. Manny, the agent at my local car dealership, is always available as soon as I come in for a repair. He explains every detail before the service is done. He stays in constant contact with me while the car is being worked on, to let me know how it’s coming along. When he’s running behind, he lets me know as quickly as possible so I can adjust my schedule accordingly. In return, I do my part to send car buyers his way, and I posted a message about the dealership’s excellent service on my blog. I’ll bet I’m not the only one. Sending a timely text or e-mail update lets your customers know that you care.
Another basic all companies need to focus on is thoughtfulness. Make sure to focus on each customer individually and go the extra mile to ask thoughtful questions—and teach your teams, your employees, and your colleagues to do the same. Once, when I brought my car in for servicing, Manny asked me how my book was coming along. I had not been there for about three months, yet he remembered that I was working on this book and was gracious enough to ask about it. Maybe he has a great memory, or maybe he keeps a file of little things like that about his customers. Either way, I must admit he made me feel special when he asked me that question—and that’s how you want all your customers to feel.
Finally, don’t forget knowledge. If you are going to provide great customer service, you and all your employees must know enough to perform your duties and provide customers with the information they need. Do you educate your employees thoroughly before turning them loose on customers? Do you test their knowledge? Many companies have found that adding testing procedures to their training programs dramatically improves employee performance, and that, in turn, boosts customer satisfaction.
To recap the basics:
1. Cleanliness
2. Personal appearance/hygiene
3. Clear communication
4. Thoughtfulness
5. Knowledge
What are some other important basics in your business? If you haven’t taken the time to identify them, I strongly recommend that you do. Then, if you’re a manager, make sure everyone who works for you masters them and applies them every minute of every day.