Company Loyalty– Whose Job is it Anyway?

In my position as Vice President for a large community association management firm, I have many opportunities to demonstrate loyalty to my local company. It is not so much a question of how may I take advantage of those opportunities as much as it is when may I? Which moment of the next hour? While recently working with a number of fellow employees on a communication skills training program, the topic of company loyalty came up as a behavioral technique. How interesting to think that a category of response so often thought of as primarily attitudinal can be ascribed as a communication skill! I had considered company loyalty to be merely a characteristic – a personality trait. This training experience dramatically transformed the concept of company loyalty into a tool. I could plan my responses with company loyalty in mind as a technique in daily communication. This approach could provide my employer and myself with the positive benefits of better communications with other employees, our clients, and my supervisor.

Being loyal to company has several facets in my estimation – both internal and external. Internal facets include the interaction I have with my fellow employees, my supervisor, other offices, and the various departments. External facets include the public we serve – the Board members, homeowners, contractors, mortgage companies, insurance agents, home inspectors, municipalities, neighboring communities, etc. The list truly is as varied as it can be. Even though the facets are different, there are unifying approaches that tie both internal and external facets together in a set of techniques. As I considered these techniques, it occurred to me that there was an A-list and an I-list that applied. The A-list for company loyalty includes attitude, aptitude, and action. The I-list includes statements such as “I can...”, “I will…”, and “I apologize…”

Let's talk about the A-list. Attitude is so very important in our business. One negative call may be followed by a second and with each call, we have the potential for making a great name for ourselves and our company or adding to the dumping ground of poor customer service. Attitude permeates who we are and how we do business; – it has to do with our manner, our disposition, and our feelings. According to Webster's Dictionary, attitude is a tendency or orientation. We may not think about our attitude and how it saturates our responses. In the myriad tasks of everyday community association management, attitude can make us or break us. What is entailed with an attitude dedicated to company loyalty? It is found in a commitment to solve problems and to make sure that answers are provided in a respectful way to those who ask no matter who they are. If all of our responses are provided with the attitude of providing the best service we can; projecting the best company image we can; and, demonstrating a positive approach to all aspects of customer service, then our well-practiced positive attitude leads us to the next step--aptitude.

Aptitude is defined as ability, capability, or talent. Enough reinforcement of a positive productive attitude brings about the capacity for more – it moves us from attitude to aptitude. We can provide good service because we want to. We can support our customers and our fellow employees because we cultivate the communication and behavioral skills necessary to do so. Our attitude produces aptitude which then leads to action. And action becomes purposeful accomplishments that provide loyalty to our company. That leads us to the I-list of “I can”, “I will”, and (when needed), “I apologize”.

True company loyalty is seen in phrases that state “I can help you,” (even when it is not your department) or “I can sympathize” (when there is a problem). It makes us walk in the other person's shoes; we can empathize with their experience and we truly want to provide the necessary resources to resolve their issues. It is seen in phrases that say “I will research this matter and get back to you with an answer by 5:00 today” or “I will transfer you to Marjorie in Member Services who is an expert in that area. Please hold while I make sure that she is available to speak to you.”

Giving good service promotes company loyalty because it recognizes that what is good for the customer is good for the company. It allows us to collectively make use of our individual strengths and provide the best foot forward for our clients and fellow employees. It means giving our best and being proud to give our best. It means saying “I am sorry that you had that experience. Let me see what I can do to get this matter resolved.” Or it could mean saying, “I apologize for this error. Thank you so much for pointing this out to us. I will check with that department and call you back to make sure that this situation has been corrected.”

There are times when apologies are appropriate even though you did not create the problem. We can be sincere enough to sympathize with the trouble someone else is having even if it is a major interruption to our day in an area that is out of our control or not even our department. Sympathy goes a long way toward understanding and there we are with that attitude point again! I find it much more satisfactory to remember the A-list and the I-list for company loyalty and provide the best customer service I can because, in the long run, I will be providing my company with the best job that I can do! Company loyalty – whose job is it? Why, it is everyone's! I challenge you to develop your attitudes into an aptitude for positive action toward fostering increased company loyalty! Together, we can do it!

Philip Adams, CMCA®, PCAM®
Vice President and Director of Management Operations
Community Group
Richmond, VA