Today I took my younger son out to a well-known family operated fast food joint called “Whataburger” for lunch. Now for those who’ve never had it, it’ll change your life – and I don’t mean give you a heart attack! …unless you eat there daily. Either way, their burgers are simply delicious, not to mention them fried pies!
As usual, they bring the food to you on their marquee orange tray, along with another heavy condiment tray containing different flavors of ketchup, salsa, jellies, salt & pepper – and not to mention napkins for you to take. (I grab a bunch of napkins you know because my wife is a messy eater). So he and I thank God for the meal and dig in.
I like to eat my fries first, then onto my burger, but as I got halfway through I began thinking… You know, Whataburger really listens to their customers because this burger was made perfectly! Then it dawned on me – Do I listen to my customers? Fact is, many people don’t care too much about really listening to and knowing their customer. Take Whataburger, for example. The sweetest lady taking our order was patient and kind, and never spoke over us. She waited for me to finish looking at the menu above, and she took my order exactly the way I wanted it. Did it come out perfect? Absolutely. Whataburger with Cheese, Mayo, no Mustard, and no Pickles. Just not feeling the pickles today.
I can’t imagine how tough working in fast food might be – well, actually I can. When I was 15, I worked all summer as a McDonald’s cook. It’s not fun, folks – and listening wasn’t my best suit back then. However, this gentle soul taking my order was happy to be there and she listened to me. She took into account that I could be having a bad day or whatever, but no matter – she listened to me and delivered a superior product made exactly the way I wanted it.
So, do you listen well enough to your customers, or are you instead thinking about what you’re gonna say next while they’re talking? At Dataseti, we listen to and love our customers! It is our first priority, and the only priority that matters. If you want to keep good customers, shut up and listen. They’ll be amazed with what you produce for them!
-Randall Reed, President & CEO
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