Remember the days when you read in the newspaper about the rave opening of a new restaurant. Desperate to go there, you try to get a table, only to be told that there is a six weeks waiting list. So you wait and finally the day arrives, only for you to be bitterly disappointed with the standards of customer and food service.

Why does it happen?

Well, most times it can be ascribed to the fact that the high initial standards were not maintained. I remember years ago of reading that the longest running theatre production in the world was Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. For more than 30 years it ran at London’s West End Theatre. It had rave reviews, new actors, new directors over the years, yet the high standards remained at all times.

It was therefore encouraging to read that Dimension Data was named SAB’s leading supplier for 2007. SAB-Miller is one of the leading Beer producers in the world. The article stated that Dimension Data South Africa has been awarded SAB’s Supplier of the Year Award in the non-production spend category for CONSISTENT HIGH STANDARDS OF DELIVERY AND SERVICE in the provision of outsourced services to the company. The award is made by SAB in recognition of those companies which consistently exceed and outperform their service level agreements.

http://it-online.co.za/content/view/165840/

This is commendable and should be a lesson to all of us. So often standards are negotiated by principals and the physical actions executed by others. This tells me that this is a company that has realized what their reputation is built on.

It also has to do with a Profit attitude. Many times the word profit has been seen to have negative connotations. Yet, it actually means getting more out of a situation than you put into it, and in order to make a profit you have to invest something first, be it your time, your skill or your capital (money) etc.

Investing something before you get something is a basic business and natural principle, i.e. to get interest you have to invest some capital and that interest you get in return for making the investment is called a return. Businessmen call it ROI or Return on Investment. Studying is another example – If you want your certificate, you must put in time and effort.

To become a success in business, you have to develop a Profit Attitude. Many people have problems with the word "Profit" – thinking it means all sorts of immoral things or attitudes. The fact is profit can be linked to a person’s pulse rate. If your pulse rate is too fast, the doctor can determine that either you are too unfit or unhealthy. Profit is the barometer of a Business. Through it you can measure its success. At the same time whilst making a profit you have to watch your reputation. After all you want stakeholders to say good things about you.

I like what David Freemantle wrote in his book "The Profit boss" many years ago.

"The eyes of a Profit boss focus only on profit".

• It is an obsession with him; he sees profit in every business situation. He seeks a profitable opportunity every second of the working day:

• A profit boss sees no profit in breaking the law. Nor bending it!

• The profit boss sees no profit in treating his people badly. Nor suppliers. (Now that is stakeholder thinking)

• The profit boss sees no profit in neglecting his customers.

• The profit boss sees profit in every business contact he makes.

• The profit boss sees profit at 8.00 in the morning when he drives into the Car park and at 6.00 in the evening when he leaves for home.

When you see a Profit boss, you see profit. To be able to increase your Company’s turnover and profits you will have to cultivate the same attitude. Cultivating HIGH STANDARDS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CONSTANT DELIVERY is based on the same attitude.

Congratulations to Dimension Data for reminding us of this.

Powered by Qumana