From the mouths of babes.


Last week I received an email from Graeme McLennan. I’ve known Graeme for many years and he has come up with some great material for me during that time. Stuff that makes me really think.

He said I can share this email with you as I felt he said it best. Kids are amazing. We should listen to them more.

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Hey Glenn,

I wanted to share something with you which may interest your readers – I have been around the block in business and I found it earth shattering to put it bluntly. Here is the story – all true BTW.

I arrived back in Sydney yesterday morning quite early and was met at the airport by Simone and my youngest daughter Hannah and driving home we talked about our weeks activities.

Hannah informed me she just had a job interview for after-school work at Coles supermarket chain. I asked her how that went and she said really good, then she came out with some really interesting stuff.

She asked me “Dad, do you know how much the average Australian spends on food over their entire lifetime?” I answered that I had no idea.

She said to me “The average Australian spends $1,000,000 on food in their lifetime!” I said wow thats really interesting, and she said –

“Yes it is, and that means if I am discourteous to any customer to the extent they take their business to a competitor, I am costing my employer a million dollars in revenue!”

I was gob-smacked Glenn, I didn’t know what to say. Here is my 17 year old daughter on her first job interview and she has grasped a basic business principle that for many of us it takes a lifetime to learn. Some businesses never learn it. We spend our time trying to be clever and innovative but overlook the lifetime value of a customers buying decisions. Courtesy costs nothing, and yet we often forget that the opposite can cost you your business.

Have a good week mate.

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Amazingly simple principle we should be taking advantage of everyday – courtesy.

Have a great week.