In your company is “customer focus” just a poster on the wall, or is it a way of doing business?

How many times have you walked into an establishment and been bombarded by posters or signs about customer satisfaction, listening to customers, and great customer service? Do you wonder if those posters are just posters, i.e., all fluff and no stuff? Do you question what your experience will truly be like? Do you think about whether employees were trained on how to ensure customers are satisfied? Do those posters mean that employees might be tempted to game the system for a bonus?

Wow! The questions could go on and on!

Cynical? Yes and no. This isn’t my first rodeo. I'm sure it’s not yours, either.

My latest exposure to such a poster was over the weekend, which, of course, prompted this column. First, a little background: A few weeks ago, I had a little fender bender with an inconveniently placed post in a local self-service, drive-through car wash. The damage was minimal; it looked worse because of the paint transfer. Nonetheless, I needed to get the damage repaired, so I made a trip to a local collision shop recommended by my car dealer.

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