Looking to Implement Change

The principal owner of this medical software company has owned the company for over ten years. Starting literally from a room in his home, he had grown the company to a small, successful two-million-dollar-plus company. Clients of the company, medical practices, were happy with their service, and business was good, if not robust. After sustaining flat growth for a couple of years, the owner decided to bring in a partner and to attempt to take the company to the next level. His partner is a businessman whom I have known for years through another industry, and he was engaged (now married) to the owner’s sister-in-law.

At the time of my first involvement with the company, I had met only the new partner. He and I had known each other through consulting and speaking that I had done with his former company, and we had a pleasant business relationship. I was aware of his involvement with this company and had heard that he was happy with his new situation. One day, I got a call from him, asking whether we could go to lunch.

Over lunch, the new partner asked whether I would help him with a new system that they were planning to install. As part of the efforts to improve their company and to position it for growth, they had decided to improve their client maintenance dispatch process. This included installing a new automated attendant system that would help in routing trouble calls to the correct employee. I was pleased to work with the new partner as I had always enjoyed our work together. But during lunch, it was determined that the principals had taken it upon themselves to implement the change. They had not asked their clients what they thought.

We agreed before the end of lunch that it made sense to ask their customers what they thought about not only the proposed changes, but also about the overall service process of the company. The new partner thought this made sense, and wanted to discuss it with both his partner and the staff. (Note the involvement with both customers and staff here. The opportunity for ownership was offered and accepted and was a good strategic decision.)

We decided to design and execute a Web-based survey consisting of questions compiled with input from management and staff of the company. (Note the continued involvement with staff.) It was during this process that I met the original owner of the company and was quickly able to observe the passion that both owners had in their quest for the best in service. They knew that their product was not their main asset; that was their service and their people. They wanted to learn the best way to use these assets to their customers’ advantages. (Note that they were not hesitant to ask their customers what they thought.) They were willing to go to all of their customers, not just a selected few, and to ask them what they thought about how the company was doing.

The survey was created, reviewed with staff (note the staff ownership again), and distributed to clients. The results began to come in, and one thing was immediately clear. The planned change for the automated system was not a popular one with this company’s clients, so it was scrapped. (Note how they responded to their clients’ wants.)

The surveys were reviewed, and the results were good. By any standards, they were good. However, they were not good enough for the partners. (Note the relentless pursuit of excellence. Good enough never is.)

Based upon some of the answers to the anonymous surveys, the partners decided to create a small focus group of their clients to review and to validate the survey responses as well as introduce the changes that were being planned for the company. (Note the ownership of change offered to customers here.) At the focus group meeting, the findings were confirmed via rankings of what was important to the customers as well as affirmations for the new changes. (Note the appreciation of the customers for being included in the process.)

As the new trouble-reporting system was being implemented, the partners decided to implement the Ritz-Carlton model of customer service for their company. They had heard my enthusiasm for the model and had seen the card I carry with the Ritz-Carlton credo, motto, and basics on it, and they decided to establish a similar process for their business, something The Ritz-Carlton not only encourages but teaches.

I have had the opportunity to spend time with both the partners of this company as well as company employees. The core concepts of service, respect, humor, and integrity are on display throughout the organization. There is no false pride, no ego. The values at the top permeate throughout the company. The responses of the focus group (which I led and observed) made that clear to me.

Staff meetings are serious when it comes to business, not serious when it comes to the partners. From my perspective, it appears as if people at this company have fun at work. I don’t know whether every day is fun. I do know that they are on a quest to encourage fun at work. I also know that they achieve it, at least occasionally, as I have seen it personally. (Note that it is possible for leaders to take their jobs seriously without taking themselves seriously.)

Using employee input and the Ritz-Carlton model, a credo, a motto, and service basics were suggested and agreed upon. (Note the use of employee input.) The credo and motto were put onto virtually every piece of correspondence sent both internally and externally and discussed at every meeting. (Note the use of “top-of-mind awareness” for keeping the service theme alive.) Today, regular meetings are conducted at which service levels are reviewed and intense focus is placed on customer improvement.

Surprisingly, this company did not have a website. It also had a fairly basic logo, which did little to reflect the culture or professionalism of the organization. Meetings with web design and marketing experts have created a corporate “makeover” that now reflects the values and service philosophies of the principals. Now, from e-mails to meetings to the website, there is absolutely no question as to the values and commitment to service that drive this company.

The result is a service-oriented company, led by executives with values and principles that are understood and communicated clearly to the employees of the organization, with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Perfection is not their goal, the quest for excellence is.

I should make one other point here. I had some pretty candid conversations with some of this company’s customers around the time of the focus group. They have many customers that won’t even think of doing business with their competitors. They have customers that they own.