What's Happened to Customer Service At GM?

I want to share a little today about the rise of TOYOTA. This is not something that I read in a book, but something that I was fortunate enough to experience first-hand. I even predicted it based on what I saw happening with middle management at a huge GM dealership.

WE ARE GM!
When I was working for Alaska Sales and Service, the GM dealership, back in the hay-day in the automotive industry, life was good. Sales were great. Service was busy. Parts managers were getting rich. Pay was solid and bonuses were mind blowing. We were literally laughing all the way to the bank (and laughing at the Japanese, like Toyota). We thought we were invincible. I used to hear older managers say the Japanese will never touch GM. We have the market cornered. Besides this, who wants their little rice-burning cars~ We are GM!!!

BEWARE OF SUCCESS
But even as a young manager, I was concerned with this attitude and the attitude towards the customer.
There was an obvious storm arising even though was was just the size of a man's hand at the time. The quality or lack thereof of the products were selling was getting my attention. Mean while a little company named TOYOTA was starting to invade our market. My wife was driving a Corolla when I met her that every member of the family drove until it was finally stolen. They could not hurt that car even with the abuse of five different drivers (some just learning to drive).
Many of the GM dealers use to laugh at their (Toyota's) little matchbox cars like the Corona and the Corolla. They used to call them RICE-BURNERS! I eventually left GM and went to work for Toyota as a corporate trainer.

CUSTOMERS ARE THE LIFE-BLOOD!
At TOYOTA we had a new hire orientation class for every new employee, regardless of how long they had been in the automotive industry. We did not just give them a manual and say read this because we found that hardly anyone read employee manuals.
We called the class "RELATIONSHIPS 101". This class was not just about policies but largely about philosophy. I wanted them to know THE TOYOTA WAY! I was constantly ridiculed by older employees that had been in the car business about all the BS I was feeding these new people in that class. I taught our employees from the orientation manual (which I wrote and designed) "Customers are the lifeblood of a business!" In most business schools they teach you that cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Do you see how the subtle difference in philosophy can make a huge difference in execution and results? In my next article I will go into more detail regarding the TOYOTA philosophy. The whole philosophy starts and ends with the CUSTOMER! Even the designing phase before the car is built is 100% customer driven. Looks like they learn from Mr. Henry Ford who said; "If we are not customer driven, nor will our cars be" more than we did, huh?

“If We Are Not Customer Driven, Then Our Cars Won’t Be Either! ” Henry Ford

O. Bernard Smalls is a member of the professional Speaker’s Bureau International, an author, a motivational-speaker and a corporate coach with a focus on self-improvement, customer service, leadership and sales training.

Email: gunghoguru@hotmail.com
Phone: 602 791 9710
http://www.obernardsmallscompanies.com/