I reread the book Broken Windows, Broken Business by Michael Levine, Warner Business Books, 2005. The theory behind the book is if the Broken Windows Theory works for crime and it does, could it work for business? The theory is if a window is broken and is quickly fixed, there will be less crime. If a window is broken and no one fixes it, there will be more crime. The reason is simple if the window is fixed as soon as possible, it shows someone cares and is looking after the property. If the window is not fixed, then the crime of opportunity will happen. If no one is fixing the property, what else are they not fixing or not worried about? What else can someone get away with? The theory works with property crime; it works in the classroom where students test teachers boundaries; and Mr. Levine’s book says it works in business.

you will mystery shop your business to see how a customer interacts. All employees are service/sales employees. Everyone in the organization does something to affect the customer experience and translate the experience into a sale. It is important to know how does a customer relate when coming into contact with your business? Whether it is Undercover Boss, mystery shoppers, you need to know how your business reacts to your customers on all the different methods the customer relates to you – phone, Internet, sending in a form and reaction times, etc. d- does expectations meet reality? Work on continuous improvements.

you will ensure each customer is met with courtesy, efficiency and a smile. The greetings must be sincere and genuine, before possibilities can happen.

you will exceed customer’s expectations. Every customer has expectations with their interaction to your company. Making it safe and easy to find solutions helps surpass expectations.

you will always make a positive first impression and assume every impression is a first impression. Everyone brings knowledge about customers to their job, some are more difficult than others, some you naturally like better than others, the important thing is to do the good impression each time. People will use the resources they have to tell others of a negative experience and once in while they will also tell of a positive experience. If they have a positive experience, customers are more likely to be repeat customers.

you will ensure everyone does their job to solve the customer’s problem the first time. The reason the customer contacted you was to solve their problem. It does not have to be the reinvention of the wheel, but you should be able to solve their concern or be able to tell them the things that will be followed up to find a solution for them.

Linking to dividend producing stocks, two of the reasons companies are producing dividends are they do customer service well or have a strong monopoly with few choices. The second option is diminishing rapidly, thus the emphasis has to be on customer service. Meeting expectations is a daily task and most business are on the Internet which means 24/7. It is not easy to surpass expectations all the time, or the work continues. As a shareholder, your task is when interact with the companies you own shares in it, how was it? If it is not good, you can ask is it just you or do you think there are others? you can vote with your feet and sell your shares. If it is good, then there are other questions.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.