Ever been really impressed by customer service? If so there's a high possibility the business providing that excellent customer service, product knowledge and commitment to quality, has very strong values.

Our local bank displays a sign which says ‘These are our values...

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Accountability
• Respect
• Excellence

When questioned about the benefits of displaying the values, a young teller spoke of weekly meetings where the staff spent time working on the values, what it meant to the bank, what it meant to them personally and, most importantly, what it meant to their customers.

She was quite clear on how she was expected to behave and how to make decisions based on these values. In her role as an employee of the bank, the values gave her very clear guidelines. The teller commented that it was great to have ‘rules which everyone has to follow'

Personally, she said that whilst learning how to meet these values, she was already striving for excellence in both her personal and working life. She was being taught how to work with colleagues to provide the best service and be totally accountable for her actions. Because of this personal development she receives respect from her work mates and her customers. What a fantastic gift to give a young woman! Now that she has it, she understands how valuable it is to give her customers the respect they deserve.

Imagine the impact this has on customers. They are served by someone who uses their integrity, is accountable for their actions and does it all in a respectful manner. Too often we are served by staff who really don't care about their customers. Do you think one of the bank's staff would continue chatting to a colleague when a customer was waiting to be served - I don't think so.

As the owner of a business, it's really important to work out what's most important to you. For example, someone who values money and freedom is not going to appreciated being in a shop 6 days a week, especially if there are only a few sales to be made. On the other hand, if you value creativity and connection you could be expected to love having a business which teaches people new crafts and sells the materials required.

You also need to choose the values you want to uphold in your business. They could be very different to your personal values. If you display them in your business, your customer knows what to expect and because you are advertising them, you can and will be held accountable to them.
This provides the first real connection with your customer and results in rapport. Customers will give you feedback if you encourage it and your business will continue to develop. So let your values shine for everyone to see. There are three key benefits.

• You have a basis for your business decisions
• Your staff have clear guidelines as to what is expected of them and will develop as employees
• Your customer will want to connect with you because they know that you have great intentions and what they can expect.

It took a minute to realize that the first letters of each of the bank's values spell our ‘I CARE'. That's the message that will stay in the memory of most customers and because everybody needs to know that someone cares, it is likely that those customers will return many times over the years.

Penny Paxman coaches small business owners in rural areas. She has introduced a program called Fit for Business to help business start ups lay the foundations that will help their businesses to grow. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.tickslife.com.au