From the September 29, 2000 edition

Superior Service

Successful companies have, share set of values

By David Schreiber

Companies devote much of their time to trying to determine how their customers feel about their products and services. This is a good thing, but if most of the questions that appear on surveys and comment cards are opinionated in nature, then the information gathered really has little value and can seldom be used for improvement.

Still, at least companies are trying.

Companies really need to devote more time toward an effort to define what they are and how they want to be perceived, both internally and externally. As a columnist and lecturer, I feel a certain responsibility to my audiences to always be on the hunt for companies that really walk their talk when it comes to delivering superior service. There are many companies that have a lot of good credos and company slogans, but do they have well-thought-out core values imbedded into their company culture?

We are all familiar with the great core values that MindSpring Enterprises Inc. (now EarthLink Inc.) was founded on. Even though I feel they have slipped and gotten away from many of those values in terms of providing superior service, they are still great core values. Your company's core values will, in part, define the purpose of your company and its culture. Yet seldom do I find a company that takes the time to fully think through this process and define its purpose in terms of a superior service strategy, and then actually make superior service happen.

A good example of values. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Michael F. Hughs, president of Atlanta-based MFH & Associates, a full-service tradeshow marketing, design and installation firm. His company continually strives to provide superior customer service using the following infrastructure and core company values. MFH says that they value:

	Lifetime client relationships.
	Family, respecting the challenges families face.
	The entrepreneurial spirit, supporting owners and ownership.
	Teamwork and the collaboration of individual initiatives and opinions.
	Profitability, which assures the future of our clients and ourselves.
	The power of recognition. We enthusiastically celebrate the recognition of others.
	The impact of partnership and the power of two hearts and minds in unison.
	Honesty and integrity, the cornerstone of business and personal relationships.
	Quality in creating and delivering the best solutions.
	The company's 10th core value -- and the one that I consider to be the strongest -- is that belief in the ability to dream is the first step in the journey to success.

Make values a part of the culture It was apparent to me that this company has taken the time to dream about what they want to be known as and what is expected from every member of the organization.

They have put it in writing, made it a part of their everyday culture, and make sure that their clients know what the company is built on. They tell their clients in advance what they are about and what their expectations are of themselves.

I have read studies that suggest that almost two-thirds of all employees say that they don't have any idea of what their company's goals and values are or where their companies are headed. This leads me to believe that either the company doesn't have an understanding of its own values, hasn't taken the time to develop them or, if they have, they are keeping it a secret from their employees.

One of the defining principles of those companies that will be successful in the future will be their desire to be progressive, innovative, creative and to take the time to establish strong, achievable core values.

These values must be effectively communicated internally and externally. When they reach and penetrate all levels of the company and are effectively woven into the fabric of the organization, they will become a company's blueprint and road map for the future.

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