Vending Machines

Ever notice how culturally acceptable it is to abuse vending machines? We hit, kick and curse at them until the money drops and the candy pops out.  Ever feel abused or taken for granted by your customers? Maybe you’ve made your business into a vending machine.  It happens for two reasons.

We get scared. Everyone knows humans are flawed.  We’re not surprised when people fall short of perfection.  And yet, we’re deathly afraid our own flaw will be exposed.  So we hide behind systems and processes and hope things run well.  Quality becomes a function of following the recipe, not just in product but in service as well.  We intentionally transform a group of people into a well-oiled machine.

We get selfish. There are things we want; money, influence, significance.  We build businesses that are delivery systems for the object of our desire.  We turn the relationship with our customer into a vending machine transaction.  You give me money, I give you product.  Maybe the candy is dispensed or maybe it sticks, the main thing is you put the money in the machine.  No wonder they beat the crap out of us when they’re unhappy!

The solution? Become a friend to those strangers you call customers.  Stop making your organization a robotic, disembodied head and start making it a collection of real people.  Build systems and processes that are designed to serve the humans instead of insisting your employees serve the processes.  Give something of value before you ask people to buy something from you.  With enough practice you may actually become flesh and bones again.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnesotahistoricalsociety