Look past the heated tone and understand the issue at hand
We don’t think anybody’s going to dispute the brilliance or business savvy of Bill “Microsoft” Gates, so let’s get right into this week’s Crisis Management Quotable:
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates
Ahh, now this one is a lesson that is often learned the hard way. It’s widely accepted that you need to solve problems your customers, investors, or other stakeholders encounter, but more often than not the thought goes no further than “satisfy them and send them on their way.” What you should be asking is, “why were they upset in the first place, and how can we prevent that from happening again?”
Doing this right requires a company-wide commitment, but you will reap the benefits. First off, your stakeholders will be more satisfied, meaning you have less problems and more income. Second, you’ll protect your reputation from the massive damage that can easily be caused by a few unhappy people with time on their hands.
You can either work with unhappy stakeholders, or they can work against you. Which would you prefer?
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com