A few months ago I wrote a post on Wal-Mart's strategy in Latin America. One of the principal points was that Wal-Mart brings every decision back to how it will effect their customer. A much under appreciated way to run a business.
Today Customer Experience Matters has a good post on Eduardo Castro-Wright, Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart. The post is based on an interview in the NYT, and quotes Castro-Wright as follows:
I think the best source of strategy is your customer and the people who work for you… I walk around the store and approach customers and ask them if they have any recommendations for us… and talk to associates and ask them questions about their jobs. I ask them about their leadership in the store… Almost always, you get enormous insight from those who spend their days taking care of customers.
When was the last time you asked a customer for recommendations? When did you last ask an employee who is an hourly worker? Good strategy and product development plans start with a profound understanding of the customer and the hourly workers on the store floor or in customer service are the people closest to the customer.
Easy way to evaluate a new company--see how long the discussion goes on before they mention the customer. In badly managed companies the customer is rarely mentioned. At the next weekly management meeting see how long before somebody mentions the customer.
