customer service is the store manager’s most
important general responsibility: “Instill in your employees the meaning and
importance of customer service as outlined in the retail philosophy, ‘Our store
is a place where the word “no” does not exist’; empower staff to ‘use their
best judgment’ in all customer service matters.” 17 OB can help managers at
Patagonia achieve this goal and, more generally, can contribute to improving
an organization’s performance by showing managers how employee attitudes
and behavior are associated with customer satisfaction.
Many an organization has failed because its employees failed to please customers.
Management needs to create a customer-responsive culture. OB can provide
considerable guidance in helping managers create such cultures—in which employees
are friendly and courteous, accessible, knowledgeable, prompt in responding
to customer needs, and willing to do what’s necessary to please the customer