The headline of this post is part of a true story that happened to me several years ago. Back then, I wasn't fond of Mexican food, but I was very fond of my friends. So, while I was out with my friends at a Mexican restaurant, I ordered a hamburger. The server said (I swear) "I'm sorry. We don't have hamburgers. We only have cheeseburgers."
After a moment to consider what I just heard, I replied, "Every cheeseburger begins life as a hamburger."
After a moment to consider what I just said, he went away to the kitchen, and I got my hamburger.
The point is not to retell a ridiculous (and I think humorous) story but to think about the hamburgers and cheeseburgers in your business. Do your rules or policies (or menu) make you stupid? Are you so focused on what you currently offer and how you are organized to offer it, that you neglect the customer and his wants? It's worth taking a moment ...
Follow-Up: I have since learned to like Mexican food (at least some of it) yet I still reserve the right to order a cheeseburger - hold the cheese.
That is too funny! But you are right - it points out a problem I think some professional service firms have created in moving away from hourly rates. Some "packages" or "job-based" prices include items the client may not want or need and certainly doesn't want to pay for.
Posted by: Meredith Hamilton | March 13, 2008 at 04:24 AM