Herb Kelleher

Herb Kelleher is known for likely being the best CEO of all times.   I can't do him justice, although early in his career he clerked for a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Justice.  If ever there was a person who should have written, The Art of the Deal, it was Herb Kelleher.  In the world of many managers and few leaders, Herb Kelleher was a legendary and visionary leader. 

Like I said, I can't do him justice, but wikipedia can:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Kelleher

I like to think of myself as somewhat of a guru on customer service.  I draw my inspiration from Herb Kelleher.  My philosophy is that the customer is not always right; but always has a perspective. 

Herb Kelleher became CEO of SouthWest Airlines at a time when airlines still served meals and offered complimentary bar service and everything else they could think of to make customers happy.  SouthWest was struggling for survival.  He came up with the concept of low cost fares, however, there would be no in-flight services and no preboarding seat assignments.  He also came up with the company culture that "we take ourselves lightly and our business seriously."  He empowered his employees to take that culture seriously. 

So, when SouthWest first took off when no inflight services, there was still a number of attendants required for safety reasons.  They didn't sit around waiting for an emergency, they injected fun into the flights to amuse passengers to distract them from the lack of inflight services.  They would run trivia games and passengers who didn't guess correctly got a spritz from a water gun.  They would play balloon volleyball or they would have the holiest sock contest.  All designed to keep the customers happy.  It turned out that the customers mainly loved it and uppety businesmen were now taking off their shoes and being proud to show up how many holes were in their socks in order to win a t-shirt. 

Everything was fine until the company got their first letter of complaint addressed to the CEO.  It was from a very prim and proper woman who had witnessed one of these "holiest sock" contests and thought that, and other things were very undignified and she was appalled.  She wrote a very long letter and stated that if those undignified activities were not stopped immediately, she would never be a customer of the airline ever again. 

The employees were all watching wondering how the CEO would respond.  The airline was struggling.  They were sure that he didn't want to lose a customer.  Herb Kelleher wrote a one sentence response to this customer:

WE WILL MISS YOU

This, at the time, that everyone was preaching that the customer was always right.  He was willing to sacrifice a customer who didn't fit in with his larger goals and ideals. 

The customer is not always right, but they always have a perspective. 

Great leaders don't worry about pleasing their customers; they worry about employee engagement.  If the employees are happy, they ensure the customers are happy. 

Sometimes a paying customer is not worth the hassle, especially if they are destroying the morale of your employees. 

If you operate a restaurant and a customer complains every time they order a tossed salad and do so rudely, perhaps it is time to stand up for your staff.  Tell the customer you regret that you can't seem to please them and encourage them to take their business elsewhere.  And, as you are showing them the exit, give them an application to become a judge on the food network.