My CEO Life

I received this email earlier on today and while i am not the CEO of Sears, it does raise an interesting question of failure in customer service and the value of getting in touch directly with the CEO.

I AM TRYING TO REACH THE CEO OF SEARS ROEBUCK DEPARTMENT STORES. I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED TO ANYONE ABOUT ANYTHING I HAVE PURCHASED IN MY 62 YEARS BUT I AM TO MY WITS END.  I ORDERED A REFRIGERATOR ON SEPT 12TH AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING WEEK END.

WHEN THEY CAME THE FIRST SATURDAY THEY SAID THEY COULDN’ T LEAVE IT BECAUSE THE ICE MAKER WATER LINE WAS NOT DISCONNECTED BUT SOMEHOW THE MAN WHO DELIVERED IT OPENED UP THE LINE ENOUGH TO CONNECT THE REFRIGERATOR THAT HE LEFT ME WITH WATER RUNNING ALL OVER MY DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN AND I HAD TO TRY TO CALL A PLUMMER WHICH NEVER COULD MAKE IT ON A SATURDAY AND MY SON IN LAW AND HIS FATHER HELPED ME GET IT COMPLETELY TURNED OFF.  THEN WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE ANOTHER REFRIGERATOR DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY AND THEY CALLED AND THEY SAID THE ONE I HAD ORDERED WAS DAMAGED AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ANOTHER WEEK.  THEN I CALLED SEARS COMPLAINING AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET ME ONE HERE TODAY AND I GOT A CONFIRMATION CALL THAT IT WOULD BE DELIVERED BETWEEN 3:30 AND 5:30 ON SATURDAY.  WELL HERE IT IS SATURDAY AND GUESS WHAT, I JUST GOT A CALL THAT THAT REFRIGERATOR IS DAMAGED AND THEY CANNOT DELIVER IT TODAY SO I HAD TO RESCHEDULE FOR NEXT SATURDAY AGAIN WHICH WILL MAKE IT A MONTH WITHOUT A REFRIGERATOR WHILE SEARS COULD REALLY CARE ABOUT HOW THEY ARE TREATING THERE CUSTOMERS.  THIS IS UNBELIVEABLE TO ME THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THIS DAY.  SEARS USED TO HAVE A FANTASTIC REPUTATION BUT THIS IS WHY YOUR COMPANY IS LOSING CUSTOMERS.

So as a CEO i often get an email or a phone call from a customer with a problem.  I actually like to get these emails as it ensures that i am connected directly with the customer and get a feel for what is going right, and more often, what is going wrong.

Now what i tend to do is to listen to the customer, trace back the issue and their interactions with the business, and then work with the management of the area that looks after the customer to ensure that we learn from what has gone wrong.  Sometime it is just a customer “trying it on” and looking for an out from their own financial problems, however more often than not, it is a customer with a legitimate gripe and usually because we have fumbled the ball.

What is interesting is that when you go back further and find out why the ball was fumbled, it is usually because a support person was new or an account manager was new.  It is a by-product of rapid growth and something that you need to be considered as you grow a business.

It looks like i might have to stay away from Sears … amazing how a bad story is spread by word or of mouth (or the internet)

Here is another question i received via email

“Hello.  I am in the process of finishing college.  What is the first step in becoming a Chief Executive Officer and do you actually start the position as a CEO?  Hopefully you can thoroughly explain my question.  Thank you.”

This is a great question and a tricky question as i am sure no two CEO’s have ever really taken the same path.

The most obvious way is to start your own business.  Of course you need to have a good idea, great funding and a passion to make it happen.  For most people this is not a good path as they may not have one of the above requirements.  You could always buy one - but you need to have the money!

The other approach is to become the CEO of an existing company.  Now either they are promoted from within - therefore you will have to join a company and work for a few years (or many) to work your way to the top and demonstrate that you have the ability to do it.

The other way is to build your skills and to then apply for CEO roles.  I reckon a good CEO has a strong understanding across multiple disciplines - finance, marketing, sales, production, strategy, hr etc.  To do this you can study (boring) or get real life experience.

I took a combination of these last 2 - i have an MBA and i have been in sales, marketing, technology, and management consulting.  I have enough experience in each field to know which questions to ask and what the likely answer is to be (thus ensuring i am not bullshitted)

The bottom line - get a job in sales and marketing (the most valuable of skills) and then do an MBA … this will at least give you some experience and some additional training.

One last thing - you need LOTS OF LUCK and be prepared to TAKE RISKS!