Family Business Check-Up

The Family Business Check-Up Continued: Customer Focus

Family owned Businesses, of any age or generation, need to take routine assessment of the health of their business, family, and individuals in the business. To get a clear true understanding, the assessment should consider, separately and in combination, all the factors that enhance the health of the Business Family. Critical areas that should be evaluated include: Leadership; Values; Change; Goal Orientation; Empowerment; Communications; Team Work; Interpersonal Relationships; Familiness; Customer Focus; and Individual Recognition.

The best way to find out what is actually going on in the family and business is to ask those in the family and in the business. Earlier ‘Check-Up’s examined Familiness, Family Values, and Communication. This Family Business Check-up examines Customer Focus.

All businesses must support a basic orientation to meet the needs of the customer or

client in order for the family business to maintain its’ existence. This dimension considers

the extent to which family members collectively identify with meeting the needs of those

customers and clients.

Each Family Member should address the following statements:

1. Our family’s highest priority is servicing the needs of our clients and customers.

2. Those who serve our customers and clients according to company expectations are rewarded.

3. We resolve customer and client issues to their satisfaction.

4. Client and customer suggestions rarely lead to change.

5. Input from our clients and customers is influential in our decision making process.

How would your family, employees, and customers, clients, or vendors, answer these questions about Customer Focus by your family and your family business?

We will continue to explore critical areas for the annual check-up of Family Owned Business in later posts.

What are your thoughts regarding the Business Family Check-Up?

When was the last time your Family Business had a check-up?