Letter on the Third — September 2022

Dear Datamax Family,

There’s an old saying that goes “to keep a customer demands as much skill as to win one.”

I would imagine we’re all pretty well-schooled in this concept. After all, at Datamax, our pursuit of “Creating Raving Fans” is built around the idea of providing a fast response to needs, resource resolution to issues, and demonstrating honesty, trust, and value at every interaction. You know all about Creating Raving Fans. What I would ask you, however, is, this: do you feel the same way about your coworkers?

Our internal customers (aka our coworkers) are just as important as those who pay for our services. Great internal customer service means treating your fellow employees with the same level of respect, urgency, and concern that you would if an external customer comes to us with an issue. Our culture demands it. Just flip through the Little Blue Book.

“Great Everyone in a Positive Manner.”

It’s amazing to me how quickly positivity can spread inside an office. Remember The Gift of the Goose? The idea of cheering each other on? In the book Gung-Ho, Ken Blanchard writes, “it’s how you make a mission come alive. The driving force behind people as they pursue a true mission is a reason for doing the work. A need to be fulfilled.” We all work better when congratulated, encouraged, and cheered on.

“Deal With Interruptions Positively.”

When I have someone come into my office, how would he or she feel if I never looked up from my desk? If someone comes to my door, I want them to know whatever it is that’s on their mind, it’s important to me, too. I get it. We’re all busy. However, we should never be too busy to at least acknowledge and address the needs of our customers… inside or out.

If a sales rep comes to your cubicle (or a technician walks into the sales bullpen), and you’ve got five other to-do items piled up, ask yourself this: “Who’s the most important person right now?”

“Keep Everyone Informed.”

If you see an ad one time, do you remember it? Probably not. 100 times? Probably so. My point is that we can never over-communicate. Responding to needs and finding resolution in a timely manner comes down to how often and effectively we communicate with one another.

“Respect the Ideas and Opinions of Others.”

If we all agree that each department is but one component of our Creating Raving Fans mission, every team, every role deserves our utmost respect. It takes all of us. After all, great customer service (or, in our case, Creating Raving Fans,) takes a lot of collective skill. You’ve honed those skills. Have you applied them to your coworkers?

The Best is Yet to Be.