Customer service - always a strong focus

As a consultant, I believe it is critical to maintain a strong focus on customers. The way I achieve my own version of customer delight is by learning from everyone and everything. My network of contacts includes highly successful consultants who constantly challenge me to expand my horizons. Here are comments from some of them:

	"Eric has the rare ability to mobilize organizations to better themselves through their own efforts, based on a clear direction. That is sustainable change." (Principal, Coopers & Lybrand Consulting)
	"Eric is an experienced consultant who provides sound, courageous advice on difficult organizational issues. He always keeps the customer in focus, and works with the client to ensure business processes can meet internal and external customer needs. Eric brings both innovative ideas and tried-and-true practices. He combines his practical know-how with best practices theories."(Managing Consultant, PeopleTech)
	"Through insightful observations, sharp questions and straightforward feedback, Eric compels managers to look at themselves and their impact on their organization. He is especially effective in guiding organizations to (re)focus and (re)commit to quality service."(Affiliate)

I try to work myself out of a job by always transferring as much of my experience, knowledge, skills, and behaviors to the managers within my client organizations— so they can lead the way long after I’m gone.

	“You have helped us stay focused and achieve results. You have given us the ‘science and the art’—you should write a case study about this…you have done it twice now for me. You have been worth every dollar I invested in you.” (CEO)
	“You have had a fundamental impact on our company. We must be big enough to admit that if it were not for your work and initiatives we would be nowhere as far as we are now on our ‘journey’ and that thanks to you we now have a People Project and GDPM [Goal Directed Project Management] culture up and running. Service Quality now is an obsession. Many, many thanks Eric.” (CEO)
	“Thank you for your contribution to our Service Quality initiative. Your experience, insight, and direction were instrumental in launching this important process. Thanks for your help.” (SVP)

It is particularly rewarding when long after a client assignment has finished I receive calls from managers from the organizations I have served to ask me for my opinion or input in a situation they face. Often they also ask me for referral to a particular professional resource because they know the strength of my network. And above all, I appreciate it as a testimonial that people call me in after they have moved to another organization.