At Tolar Systems, our core values are the guiding principles that determine how we do business. More importantly, they guide our relationships with our customers, community, employees and partners. But what do those values really mean to customers? What can you expect when working with Tolar Systems?
Value #2: Follow the Golden Rule
In our last values spotlight, we talked about our first core value: putting customers first. Our second core value is something similar, but applies to all of our relationships, not just those with our customers.
That value is:
“Follow the Golden Rule – We deliver the kind of service we want to receive. Period.”
We believe that following the Golden Rule isn’t just a constraint that prevents us from taking actions that could be harmful to our customers. It’s a belief system that is critical to our success as a business. That’s because treating customers right makes them happier, and therefore more likely to choose us and recommend us to others.
It’s also critical to our growth – not just because abiding by the Golden Rule keeps our customers happier and enhances our reputation, but because our team is happier when they know they’re making a difference for our clients. It gives us a sense of purpose internally, inspiring us to offer new services and solutions that meet our customers’ needs.
Four Ways We Follow the Golden Rule
Here’s what following the Golden Rule means to Tolar Systems and its clients.
Advise what’s appropriate. At Tolar Systems, the Golden Rule means we advise what’s appropriate for your business. When we’re developing strategies and solutions for our clients, we’re not thinking about it from a sales perspective. We’re not trying to beef up our commissions by selling the most expensive solution. Our goal is to build solutions that meet our clients’ needs cost effectively and efficiently.
Do what’s right. We make decisions based on the relationship and what’s right for the client. We align our clients’ IT strategies with their current needs and future vision, looking for solutions that will meet today’s need while providing flexibility to meet future needs over the long term.
Align with business vision. Just as we expect our partners to take the time to get to know our business, we do the same for our customers and clients. That’s why we only propose solutions after we’ve taken the time to get to know our clients’ current business needs as well as future business objectives. Then, we align our solutions to meet key customer requirements over the short and long term.
Focus on outcomes. When we advise solutions, we tie those solutions to the outcomes they offer, not the price tag. Sometimes that means we can propose a solution that might be less expensive than other alternatives. But it can go the other way too, because the cheapest option isn’t always best.
Putting The Golden Rule into Practice
In the ideal world, the best solution would also have the lowest price, but in practice, there’s usually a trade that has to be made. In our business, there’s often a trade-off between price and functionality. This is a challenge we face whenever we are developing a solution for clients.
For example, there’s a significant difference between consumer grade and professional grade hardware and equipment, or between a low-cost software application and one with more functionality. The lowest cost solution might meet an immediate need, but can it grow with your business? Does it adequately address your business requirements or are multiple workarounds and add-ons necessary to get the outcomes you need to grow your business and serve your customers?
Often, the answer to these questions is no. If your business has a vision to grow, that low cost solution might end up costing more over the long term when you need to upgrade sooner than planned.
These are the questions we must consider when proposing a solution for our clients. By applying the Golden Rule to these kinds of ethical challenges, we find it is easier to deliver solutions that are both cost-effective yet functional enough to enhance their business.
Your Turn
What do you think it means to follow the Golden Rule in business? How does the Golden Rule play out in your business? We’d love to hear from you: contact us.
