Business-to-Business Customer Loyalty: Cultural Differences
December 20, 2008
This last weekend, we got our first snowfall which required shoveling. (For those out-of-staters who think it might be fun to hoist the pretty flakes, tally the songs about snow vs. those about shoveling and you get my drift.) Not fun. It’s my theory that snow is partially responsible for the Midwest work ethic. (Well, that and farming, but these days, there are many more shovelers than there are farmers in Minnesota.)
Once we get into 20-degree days, Mother Nature no longer melts the snow on the sidewalks. You need to remove the snow immediately, or people walk on it, forming compacted snow and eventually ice.
Ice is much tougher to remove from a sidewalk than snow and can result in a citation from the city, a tumble, or a broken arm. A veteran of one or more Minnesota winters will tell you that neglecting your sidewalks radically increases your risk and creates more work in the long run. You need to stay on top of it.
The same is true in business. Some things cannot wait. That’s why it’s important to identify what’s critical to your business: Which are the items that must be attended to immediately and without compromise? Which tasks must be dealt with swiftly to mitigate your risk? What—left unattended—will only become a bigger problem down the road?
Rhonda Sunnarborg, Senior Consultant
E.G. Insight
