What do you value?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about “core values.” As it applies to customer service, core values may be what make a customer decide to do business with you. Values may also be the reason your employees enjoy working for you and are motivated and committed to doing their best.

What words do your customers use to describe you? Are they the same words you would use to describe yourself? In some cases, these words will describe the core values of your organization. These are the values that you want both your employees and your customers to associate with you.

In short, core values are what a company stands for. They can be expressed in sentences or simple words. Some examples are “friendly,” “honest,” “passionate,” “helpful,” “fun,” etc. While you may use such words to describe yourself and your company, are the values they reflect thoroughly engrained in the culture of your company? Are your employees aware of them? Do you refer to them on a regular basis?