Business
L e s s on
John Mackey, Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
What’s the secret to creating loyal customers?
“We’ve all been frustrated when an organization—
whether it’s a business, a government agency,
or a nonprofit—hides behind ‘I can’t do that’
or ‘It’s against policy.’ The policy is often stupid,
and the person saying they can’t give you what you
want knows it’s stupid. But their hands are tied.
At Whole Foods, we empower our team members
to do whatever it takes to make customers happy.
Does that mean that they occasionally make
mistakes? Of course. But if serving the customer
is the primary goal, it’s better to make a mistake
by being too lenient than it is to alienate someone.”
John Mackey co-authored the recently published book Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business.
IllustratIon By MelInda JosIe
April 2013 spirit
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - April 2013