Keeping It In The Family
My career started 40 years ago working for a family-owned business. I observed several things about the favored few:
They took liberties not afforded to everyone else.
Management quickly overlooked their shortcomings.
They’re rarely fired.
64% of US gross domestic product comes from family businesses, so odds are excellent you’ll deal with one or more this year. I like working with these (typically) small businesses, believing they’ll contribute more to the local community than large multinational firms do.
Only challenges can arise, as I learned recently when I hired Joe to fix my roof. Based on our long-term relationship, I trust Joe and wanted to work specifically with him. Unfortunately, he sent over his son Sam, whom I didn’t know.
Sam left the work incomplete and, when I’ve spoken with Joe, he sends Sam back. I’m now regretting my decision to hire Joe’s company.
I called Terry with some computer issues. I like him, but his daughter/partner comes off as a phony. With Terry now planning to retire, I’m rethinking THAT relationship too.
As a small business owner, I want to support others like me, but family businesses are funny things. Looking to plug in trustworthy employees in key positions, founders oftentimes turn to family over an outsider. Only some of these family members are simply unqualified or not interested in their jobs.
Non-family members then see this nepotism as counter-productive and become unsupportive.
Such struggles can lead to unsatisfied workers, unhappy customers, and shrinking sales.
Here’s the thing: customers come to you to solve their problems. If your team can’t deliver, and people feel complaints aren’t being heard, they WILL go elsewhere.
As Robert DeNiro said in a recent interview, everyone is replaceable. And whatever you’re selling, you’ve got competition.
Furthermore, customers don’t care about how uncomfortable your dinner or holiday discussions may be. Because though your family/ownership dynamic needs to be dealt with delicately, that’s YOUR dilemma.
So here’s some friendly advice. Customers and staff are watching, and if your family members aren’t providing the same quality that the founder would deliver, you’ve got a problem. You can get around it by encouraging customers to contact you directly with any concerns.
Because as Joe, Terry and others have been learning, good enough…isn’t.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
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Get treated like family at www.marketbuilding.com.