Business Tip 1: "Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds You"
The Importance of Kindness in Customer Relationship Management
Introduction
When we hear in the business world that old business adage, "Don't bite the hand
that feeds you", we often think of those who are a level above us in business -
our creditors and big corporations, that we transact business with, and which we
need to be in good relationship with when doing business. However true this is,
we can improve our business when we apply this business wisdom also in customer
relationship management. If we "bite the hand" of our client or customer, or treat them
unkindly, then for sure, they may not want to have to do anything with us anymore since
they will certainly get very displeased. And what is worse, their displeasure can spread
like wildfire among our other business prospects, customers, or clients, who also patronize
our business. This business wisdom teaches us to be kind to everyone
in our business circle and never forget that kindness creates a positive atmosphere in
business, especially if it is applied to customer relationship management.
"No system is perfect"
Though we know that institutions and corporation carry the ideals of
"service with a smile", service excellence, the #1 leader in quality, or the
'delivered right at your doorstep' classic service, in reality this ideal does not
always work all the time. Even corporate or business systems are imperfect.
At times their computer system may slow down transactions or one of their employees
has a bad attitude one day. Whatever it is that irks us in getting a move on in our
business, we have to accept the truth in humility: "nothing is perfect". If we know
this as a fact and become more aware of it, it will make our business dealings more
human, we can be more understanding in our transactions, and we will put less
pressure on others and ourselves. We can apply this human touch both ways: towards
the those who hold positions in corporations and those below us in our business
relationships. Sometimes we may be caught in between trying to please both the
people at the top and the people at the bottom. The ideal is to balance our
attitude of kindness both ways - though it may be difficult in certain situations
and circumstances. We cannot "bite the hand" of those at the top to please
those we serve as clients and customers. And we cannot "bite the hand" of
our clients and customers to please only the people at the top.
We are called to balance ourselves between both sides of the business relationship
and environment.
"All things to all people"
If we find support from Christian tradition on how we are to deal with people,
whether those at the top or those at the bottom, we can look to a principle
which St. Paul teaches in one of his epistles. St. Paul mentions how "he had to
become all things to all people for the sake of the gospel of Christ". If we apply
this Christian or Pauline principle as a way of being kind to people in the
business environment, then we will be spared from the temptation to really
"bite the hand that feeds you". We will be taught greater humility and will learn
to be more generous in our atttitude of service towards all levels in our business environment.
It is also to be understood that there may be times that we might reach
our breaking points - especially when the rubber band of our patience breaks
and snaps! However, it is possible if we commit ourselves to Paul's principle:
"all things to all people for the sake of the gospel". With faith, nothing is
impossible. We can live in a way that makes us more pleasing to others and
we don't snap in anger for small things. Even though we have character imperfections,
bringing a Christian spirit in the marketplace or the marketspace will truly
make a quality of difference. Just living a life of balance and moderation
and being serviceable to the best of our ability will make our business grow
and prosper naturally and in its proper time.
We learn from our mistakes and experiences
We better understand in time how our business must grow and prosper from our own
mistakes and negative experiences. Perhaps there was a time that our temper took
a big toll on people involved in a certain business issue - causing problems and
disorder in the business deal. This often happens when our vision narrows and
we forget to broaden our understanding of life in business. If we always think
of every angle or perspective in dealing with business problems, then we will
be in a better position to discern what is needed in the situation and apply
the prudent action necessary to solve it. When we focus so much on details,
we forget the whole picture and the entire context in which the small problem
is experienced. This is where we need to change our attitudes and our ways of
perceiving, thinking and judging. Learning to be more patient and more understanding
can help us think more of people's situations and circumstances in life and help
us to be calm in our approach to solving problems in business deals. If we focus
only on what we want and want done now and perfectly, then for sure, the other
party will be aggrieved and someone's hand might get "bitten". It is good if after
a "biting experience-event" happens, everything gets smoothened up again and the
usual business is restored. But if it so happens that something breaks up that
can never be patched up again, then this can surely start to destroy not only our
business image, but more gravely, the erosion of the very core and foundation
on what our business ideals are built upon. Let us not forget that when everything
goes-out-of-hand we right away go back to the "drawing board" and remind ourselves
what the core values of our business is about: people above things, service
above self-interest, and carefully balancing these two in a way that is
practical for the business to not only thrive but prosper in the long run.
From a Christian persepctive, if we place in the core of our business according to
the spirit of Christ's service to others, then for certain many will really believe
in what we and our business stands for. Putting Christ into our business life
will help it an excellence of service that is distinctively a quality better
than business on the same par as ours. The unique Christian spirit of our service will
not only sustain the business we are building, but it will make it grow and
prosper into a business that is stable and solidly built on the core value
of Christian ideals - one that is as stable as the gospels many generations
have read since the time of Christ Himself.
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