Do you Love your Customers?

Why are people so uncomfortable with certain words? I guess it is because words can hold so much emotion. I have seen the face of a wife or child as her husband or father becomes verbally abusive. I have seen the face of elation when certain phrases are uttered. As a matter of fact, as I was driving home for lunch I was listening to the soundtrack to the Phantom of the Opera and found my self so moved by the words that I was nearly to tears. How about the emotions aroused by Rush Limbaugh through his words?

Recently, as a company, we have been formulating a motto of sorts that we can all buy into. Many different phrases were suggested. Some were canned some were meaningless, some were riveting. Finally we decided on "Passionate about People" We felt like this best described the way we felt about our customers and how our product changed their lives.

A few days later I received an email from one of our team leaders stating that a few of the people who were not in attendance at the meeting were not comfortable with the word "Passionate." I thought this was a shame. Not only had this great phrase been vetoed by those who did not even show up at the meeting, but that we would lose a word that held a lot of emotion.

This morning I was thinking of another word that I feel holds much more emotion than "Passionate"... Love.

Love is so poorly defined in the English language. If I say I love my wife, then one thing is implied. If I say I love my mother, than other is implied, if I say I love one of my staff, than another (and sometimes a lawsuit.) But what about if I say I love my customers... Do I love my customer? As I thought about this some universal laws of love started popping into my head. First of all, if I love someone I am willing to make sacrifices of myself for them. That is true either its my family or someone across the world whom I have not met who is starving or has some other affliction. I am willing to sacrifice something either time, or money, or gain, or whatever I deem worthy of my love. Secondly, you do things for those you love which you would not do for other you don't. I may pull some strings for a person to get them a job if I love them, when a person I don't love, I wont even return the call.

In the next few days I am going to put together an article regarding "the challenge to love your customer" In this discovery I hope to learn a greater understanding of what role love can play into making me a better person. Also I will keep with the definition of the three part customer. 1. My Clients 2. My Co-Workers 3. Myself.