Doing 'the right thing'
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I was watching a TV program on Monday night and a thought came to me.
The program was actually the first in a series covering the department store 'John Lewis'. For those of you not in the UK, John Lewis is a pretty large retailer here. They sell everything from food to curtains and are generally considered very 'middle class'. Good shops. The big difference with John Lewis though is that it's not a limited company or even a privately owned company. It's a partnership, and *every* employee in the company is a partner. They even get a say in how the company is run. The company has been going for around 85 years now and was set up as a commercial experiment by a guy called John Spedan Lewis. He even made sure to cap the top directors salary as a multiple of the lowest salary being paid. 85 years on, it's certainly proved a success.
As you know, I've done a bunch of press work - so I'd hope that I can see through the TV veneer to see what people really think. Although the current MD is certifiably bonkers (in the best way!), the general impression I got was that the staff really liked working there. I also know that regular customers (Kitty & I included) certainly like John Lewis as a brand. Now I can't guarantee this is why, but one reason that came to mind was that John Lewis is 'doing the right thing'. For instance, for as long as I can remember, John Lewis will price match anyone else. They don't price gouge, or make a huge thing of it. But you can buy there with complete confidence. They also have a solid returns policy. It just seems like the 'right thing' to do.
Yesterday, I was shopping in Marks and Spencers. Another UK store - this time mainly food and clothes. One of M&S's big campaigns at the moment is 'Plan A'. It's their response to saving the planet, based on the idea that there is no Plan B. I felt that, amongst their other shop policies, this is again 'the right thing'. Our hairdresser used his birthday party to throw a massive charity ball for all his customers, raising thousands. And of course, you have the wide range of charities and non-profits etc who are all committed to doing the right thing as well. I won't even start to list the companies at the opposite end of the spectrum!
My thought was this. There's a financial impact to 'doing the right thing'. Extra customer care involves devoting more time to them. This cost is of course usually outweighed by more customer loyalty, good will etc. But it seems that there's a financial impact to the staff as well. the MD of John Lewis, for instance, has a far lower salary than his peers. Charity workers are almost always paid less than non-charity workers. On the flip side, these workers are happier and more productive.
So - where do YOU draw the line? Do you clock watch your staff, or trust them to manage their own time? Does your company help to move community development forward by devoting resource? If you are presented with a commercial project that would make alot of money - but you know the customer is being ripped off - would you say no?
What's your main motivator? Making money, or 'doing the right thing'? Let me know your thoughts, please.
Bookmark :
I was watching a TV program on Monday night and a thought came to me.
The program was actually the first in a series covering the department store 'John Lewis'. For those of you not in the UK, John Lewis is a pretty large retailer here. They sell everything from food to curtains and are generally considered very 'middle class'. Good shops. The big difference with John Lewis though is that it's not a limited company or even a privately owned company. It's a partnership, and *every* employee in the company is a partner. They even get a say in how the company is run. The company has been going for around 85 years now and was set up as a commercial experiment by a guy called John Spedan Lewis. He even made sure to cap the top directors salary as a multiple of the lowest salary being paid. 85 years on, it's certainly proved a success.
As you know, I've done a bunch of press work - so I'd hope that I can see through the TV veneer to see what people really think. Although the current MD is certifiably bonkers (in the best way!), the general impression I got was that the staff really liked working there. I also know that regular customers (Kitty & I included) certainly like John Lewis as a brand. Now I can't guarantee this is why, but one reason that came to mind was that John Lewis is 'doing the right thing'. For instance, for as long as I can remember, John Lewis will price match anyone else. They don't price gouge, or make a huge thing of it. But you can buy there with complete confidence. They also have a solid returns policy. It just seems like the 'right thing' to do.
Yesterday, I was shopping in Marks and Spencers. Another UK store - this time mainly food and clothes. One of M&S's big campaigns at the moment is 'Plan A'. It's their response to saving the planet, based on the idea that there is no Plan B. I felt that, amongst their other shop policies, this is again 'the right thing'. Our hairdresser used his birthday party to throw a massive charity ball for all his customers, raising thousands. And of course, you have the wide range of charities and non-profits etc who are all committed to doing the right thing as well. I won't even start to list the companies at the opposite end of the spectrum!
My thought was this. There's a financial impact to 'doing the right thing'. Extra customer care involves devoting more time to them. This cost is of course usually outweighed by more customer loyalty, good will etc. But it seems that there's a financial impact to the staff as well. the MD of John Lewis, for instance, has a far lower salary than his peers. Charity workers are almost always paid less than non-charity workers. On the flip side, these workers are happier and more productive.
So - where do YOU draw the line? Do you clock watch your staff, or trust them to manage their own time? Does your company help to move community development forward by devoting resource? If you are presented with a commercial project that would make alot of money - but you know the customer is being ripped off - would you say no?
What's your main motivator? Making money, or 'doing the right thing'? Let me know your thoughts, please.
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