Why Treating Your Family Like Customers is a Good Idea

It’s a familiar formula for movie and TV plots: the hugely successful, workaholic husband and dad is a failure at home. His wife feels like he’s a stranger, and his kids resent him. The man’s life is crumbling around him, even while his career is in high gear.

The reason the plot is used again and again is because it sadly echoes reality in far too many homes across the country.

But what if I told you that the same principles and techniques that husband and father applies to his professional life would also help him excel at home?

That’s the premise behind Louis Upkins, Jr.’s new book, “Treat Me Like a Customer: Using Lessons from Work to Succeed in Life.” Louis is the guest in today’s broadcast, and he offers great practical tips that will work for everyone – not just business- and customer-oriented folks like me.

I’ll give you just one example of the insight Louis shares today, something that will resonate with anyone who’s ever been asked to fill out a customer satisfaction questionnaire (something you’re asked to do even while you’re using your Facebook app on your iPhone).

Louis points out the purpose of those feedback surveys is to use that information to improve the relationship with the customer base, and asks why we don’t do that with our spouse and children? Why not ask for an “annual report” of sorts, and then – here’s the kicker – do something with that information that will improve your relationships with your spouse and children?

Little things like conducting customer or employee surveys come so naturally to many of us who manage a business or a team at work – and yet, we go home and wonder why we don’t understand what’s going on with our own families. That’s why I think Louis’ challenge to us to be as intentional with our home life as we are in our professional world is a good one for many of us – myself included – to hear.

I hope you listen to our broadcast today. If you can’t tune in on the radio, you can always listen online on our website. Click here to listen to today’s broadcast, “Applying Business Principles to Your Family Life.”

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