UAW Supplement Spring 2011

CustomerCare News

Spring 2011

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Emerging strategies to improve customer and employee satisfaction

Success Beyond the Crisis Years page 8

The New UAW

Servant Leadership

Rebranding the UAW A Celebration Media Publication This is a Special Labor Union Supplement

Associate Publisher’s Letter

I

t appears that the stormy winds of the Great Recession are beginning to sub-

side. Less unemployment, people are purchasing again, and cars are rolling off the assembly line. The workers who survived the downsizing are trying to

do more with fewer resources, but are somewhat happy that they have a job.

There are many lessons to be learned from this Great Recession, but I will allow

the historians to elucidate going forward. There is one critical lesson, however, taking

place in companies and people — we cannot continue to do the same old things and expect successful outcomes.

The time has come for workers and organizations to “rebrand” or “reinvent” themselves. This is the mantra heard across

the United States. Michigan’s new governor, Rick Snyder, has a motto — Reinventing Michigan. Washington, D.C. is reinventing the economy, and employees are “rebranding” themselves to keep their jobs.

With this in mind, I set off to explore what other high-profile organizations are doing to rebrand or reinvent the percep-

tion people have about the way they conduct business. I did not have to look far, with the UAW right in my own backyard.

My exploratory journey began.

I was fortunate to interview two passionate vice presidents of the UAW — General Holiefield who represents the

Chrysler Group, and Joe Ashton from General Motors. The interviews were conducted separately so I could attain a clear picture and understanding of the UAW. Both of these men were eager and straightforward with their answers. It was truly a pleasure to speak with two well-spoken men with a very clear mission and vision.

Additionally, I met with Edgell Turnquist, executive director of the Michigan Labor-Management Association (MLMA),

which deals with labor-management issues affecting millions of workers. On April 14 and 15, 2011, MLMA will be holding its annual conference in East Lansing, Michigan. The theme for the conference is “Restoring Dialog.”

Please enjoy the rebranded or reinvented insights you might experience when reading the articles in this edition of

Customer Care News.

Dr. Keith Levick

Associate Publisher

Spring 2011

klevick@customercarenews.com

Customer Care News

s part of Customer Care News’ continuing series of interviews ing

with

employee

business

collaboration

leaders and

regard-

improv-

ing customer satisfaction and customer care, Dr. Keith Levick recently spoke with Joe Ashton, vice president of the UAW-General Motors Corporation (GM).

www.customercarenews.com

Spring 2011

A

Photo by Chris Schramm cschramm@customercarenews.com

Learning from the Past, Improving the Future: The New UAW

CCN: Some use the term “reinvention” when looking at

CCN: This is a critical issue for Michigan and across the country.

Chrysler] called it “rebranding” from the UAW point of view,

that?

Michigan.

General Holiefield [vice president of the UAW-

and the Michigan Labor-Management Association conference theme scheduled in April refers to “restoring dialog.” As

JA: I think for the first time, General Motors is taking a long look,

UAW today?

Lake Orion was scheduled to be built in Korea, and they sat down

the vice president of the UAW-GM, how do you see the

JA: I think all three statements, whether we say it’s reinvention, rebranding or restoring conversation, are all important elements in

the new UAW. I think it’s important to continue to have dialogue

with General Motors. They have taken an initiative with their new CEO Dan Akerson to continue to have ongoing dialogue with the UAW leadership. Because it’s so important for the UAW to be successful, whether it’s at Ford, Chrysler or General Motors,

like they did with Lake Orion. The vehicle that they’re building in

with us, and we worked out an agreement to have that vehicle built here. And we’re also looking at bringing trucks that normally have been built in Mexico in the past back here to be built. We can

be competitive now; our quality is second to none. We have an experienced workforce and we know that we can do a better job

than anybody else. And that’s whether it’s General Motors, Ford or Chrysler.

those companies have to be successful also, and we saw in the past

CCN: Compare if you would, what’s going on today with what

Their share of the industry is up; people are looking more at the

differences?

several months a real turnabout with Ford and General Motors.

American brands. Their quality now is competitive with any brand,

it was like 10, 15, 20 years ago. What are some of the major

and I think we are taking a step in the right direction. And I think

JA: I think one of the major differences is competition. There’s

to show the American public that not only the company, but the

there was 10 years ago. Ten years ago, our competition was with

to continue to do so, we have to have that dialogue and we have

UAW and its members also have a stake in the success of these companies.

CCN: The past few years have been a rollercoaster, especially on the Big Three, with the economy and the bankruptcies; what’s it been like for the UAW and GM?

JA: Well, needless to say, it’s been a very, very difficult period.

I think the leadership of Ron Gettelfinger and the previous Vice President Cal Rapson did a tremendous job by sitting down and negotiating an agreement to keep us out of absolute

destruction. We were heading for bankruptcy, and the bail-

so much more competition than there was 20 years ago, than

the Japanese companies. Now the new competition is going to be with the Korean companies and also the German companies, which are coming back into the picture. There are so many

brands out there that your brand has to stand out. And I think

with the engineering that Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have been doing, it is giving us a step forward. I think the orders for General Motors’ premier electrical vehicle speak for themselves. I

think the orders far exceeded what General Motors thought and what any analyst projected, and I think that kind of technology and the quality that we are building in our vehicles is going to set us apart.

out enabled us to continue to operate. And since that’s hap-

CCN: Can you speak to customer service? And when I talk about

Motors has done something that they have never done before, or

customer but also the internal customers. In other words, every

pened, we have several success stories. We need more. General

haven’t done in many years, and that’s to decide to build a small vehicle in Michigan, in Lake Orion. That saved thousands of jobs, not only in building that vehicle but also the suppliers. And

“customer service,” I’m talking not only in terms of the external

employee is one another’s customer. Have you seen a shift or a different way of thinking regarding customer service?

that’s the thing we are looking for. We had to be innovative in

JA: There has to be. That’s why quality is so important. Quality

put more and more jobs back in the states. That’s what it’s about.

as more or less one of the main issues. We have an obligation

that agreement and we are looking to convince the companies to

Spring 2011

Without giving any secrets away, what’s the response regarding

That’s what the upcoming negotiations are going to be about —

jobs. Jobs, jobs and jobs: those are our three highest priorities. Not only to bring jobs back to Michigan, but also to bring jobs back throughout the country.

Customer Care News

used to be an issue that the company and the UAW perceived to the American public to build the best cars available. Also, to give customers the best service available, because we know now, statistically, that if you get a good vehicle and good service, seven

times out of 10 you’ll buy another vehicle from the company again.

And that’s something that we all focus on, not only the company

think that we are on the right track, that General Motors and Ford

president of the UAW] or anybody else in his administration about

market share. We want to continue to build on that success and I

quality, about being competitive, that’s what we are going to have to look at, not only in this negotiation, but also in the negotiations to come.

CCN: In looking back, comparing today versus 10 or 15 years ago,

you note that competition is one critical issue. Is there anything else that stands out to you?

JA: : I think there is no doubt that wages are much more competitive than they were 10 years ago. I think the UAW took the first

big step when it took the liability of the medical away from the Big

Three. The cost savings on that to the industry itself is astronomical, and GM and Ford in particular were always criticized about

the legacy cost. Now, it’s something that they don’t have to deal

have picked up market share and that they’re continuing to pick up think the only way to accomplish that is working together.

CCN: Do you think that the negotiations in 2011 will be a little smoother and more transparent between the companies?

JA: We would hope that would be the case. We feel that General Motors, I can only speak for General Motors because that’s who I deal with on

a day-to-day basis, has been much more transparent

than

they have in the past.

with anymore and it makes them more competitive. I think in the

CCN:

more vehicles. This is in the best interest of our membership, the

have noticed is the

long run, the auto companies will be more competitive and sell Big Three and our suppliers.

CCN: I would imagine that taking liability away from the auto companies was a tough sell?

JA: It was very difficult. We have been fortunate; not to get

into the VEBA (Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association) structure itself, but the agreement involved General Motors’ and

Ford’s stock, and they ended up being worth much more than we originally negotiated.

CCN: In the past, there was a perception of an adversarial relationship between the UAW and the Big Three. How would you describe the relationship today?

JA: I think we can say the relationship with GM has gotten to the point where it’s not just “business as usual.” There’s open dialogue

that started during the past few years, and that kind of communica-

tion continues today. We, or the company, aren’t in the position to have an adversarial position with each other because we don’t want to end up where we were two years ago.

CCN: So, as you see things moving forward from this date on,

JA: I think it’s going to be important for us to have the 2011 negotiations be successful for both parties, and for us to move forward. I

of

the things that I

shrinking of manu-

facturing in the State of Michigan and

around the country.

I would imagine that

has affected your membership. What

is the UAW doing to

Joe Ashton

get new members?

JA: There’s no doubt that it’s had an effect on our membership. In fact, this whole country has had a shrinking manufacturing base.

But Bob King has started an aggressive campaign to organize the plants around the world…. Under Bob King’s leadership, we are going to be much more aggressive in our organizing efforts.

Also, the biggest growth in our union has been gaming. Besides

the casinos in Detroit, we organized almost 3,000 people in Foxwood in Connecticut and 3,000 people in Atlantic City.

Additionally, we have a contract in Indiana, so we have been

very aggressive. And we currently have another nine or 10 additional campaigns in the gaming industry going on. We feel that by the end of the year, we’ll have an additional 8,000 members.

People don’t realize it but the UAW was the first union to organize dealers in the United States. Dealers have never been organized,

and that’s what we started in Detroit, then Atlantic City, then Connecticut, then Indiana and now we’re looking at Pennsylvania and Ohio.

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Spring 2011

where is the UAW headed?

One

Photo courtesy of Joe Ashton

but the UAW too. If you have listened to Bob King [current

CCN: I think you’re right, most people are not aware of that.

Having trained in some casinos, I know the stress the dealers experience.

JA: I don’t think people realize the amount of stress that the dealers experience. It’s a very, very difficult job; without tokes (tips), it’s

not a high paying hourly job. And I think it’s an area that we have

workers’ rights.

CCN: Protecting the rights of workers certainly comes with

challenges. This had to be a huge undertaking during this past recession.

been successful in organizing. Like I said, this year alone we have

JA: The downtrend in the economy has had a desperate effect on all

in Detroit and we expect to organize another 8,000 throughout

you’re in the union, you’re a worker. Ninety-nine percent of the

five new agreements. We’re going into negotiations again this year the country.

CCN: So, the UAW is aggressively pursuing foreign auto plants in

this country and unionizing parts of casinos. I also read that the UAW is trying to unionize European facilities.

JA: I think it’s important for us to realize that it’s a global economy; it’s a global union and global workers. And we have to take an active

position and protect the welfare of those workers. If they continue

to make low wages and they continue to be treated improperly, we have an obligation, because we’re not only a union, but we’re also a

social organization. The UAW for years, starting with the Walter Reuther era, was an organization that stood up for the rights of

people — be it civil rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights; we were and will continue to be on the front line.

CCN: I’m guessing that many people have no idea about that part

of the UAW. They only see what they have read or seen on television, which oftentimes is extremely negative.

JA: Well, I think it’s sad because if you look back in history you will

definitely find that the UAW helped to build the middle class. The

boat that we were floating at the time — everybody was on it. It didn’t matter if you were a schoolteacher, whether you were union or whether you were non-union. It was this movement that started

with a pension plan, which led to health plans, and that trickled

down to other organizations. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a union movement in this country. In most cases, people don’t

of us. And it really doesn’t matter if you’re management or whether people work for a company; they don’t own it. Therefore, we’re all in the same boat. There have been significant cutbacks across the

board. And we believe that we all have to have a voice together to

turn this around and make not only the auto industry work, but

also the entire country. When the auto industry was doing well in Michigan, it didn’t only affect autoworkers; it affected schools, police, fire, teachers and suppliers. A study conducted by Cornell University showed that each job in the auto industry affects seven or eight other jobs. That’s why when there were discussions about

GM and Chrysler going down, we knew it would affect seven

million people across the United States. We have to create more jobs here, and we have to expand our presence to other types of industries.

CCN: What are some of the active things that the UAW is doing to restore, reinvent or rebrand itself?

JA: Some of the things that I already mentioned like being more involved globally, more aggressive organizing especially with the

transplants, and involvement in gaming and other industries to

expand the union. And equally important is the openness of management and the UAW to work together to make these companies and its people successful.

CCN: If you have one piece of advice for other companies, even

outside the auto industry, as it relates to recovering from the past two years, what would it be?

realize it’s a social voice for working men and women.

JA: I think it’s difficult just to say one thing, but I think the most

CCN: Are you alluding to the fact that workers in Germany,

we are talking about management or labor. To keep an ongoing

France, Korea, etc. face similar issues as the American workers?

Spring 2011

work in, the issues are similar and the UAW is there to protect all

JA: I think all countries are facing the same issues, including companies that outsource work to different countries. There’s no doubt

about it. Regardless if you’re a dealer, an autoworker, a policeman,

a fireman, a teacher; whatever industry you’re in or country you

Customer Care News

important thing is communicating with your workforce, whether

dialogue and listen to the people in most industries that deal with the product, build the product, whether it’s the dealership that sells it or an automaker that makes it. Listen to what they have to say.

It’s important to remember, in this global economy, that quality,

competitive price and exceptional customer service are the three most important things that drive the consumer. CCN

Photo by Chris Schramm cschramm@customercarenews.com

General Holiefield, vice president of UAW Chrysler, was interviewed by Customer Care News’ Associate Publisher Dr. Keith Levick at the UAW Solidarity House in Detroit

Rebranding: The UAW Emphasizes the Importance of World Class Manufacturing

C

ustomer Care News is dedicated to helping businesses improve customer care, customer satisfaction and employee collaboration. To that

end, Dr. Keith Levick recently sat down with General the changing face of the UAW in today’s economic climate. www.customercarenews.com

Spring 2011

Holiefield, vice president of the UAW-Chrysler to discuss

CCN: For most organizations and companies during the past

CCN: During the bailout, many in the industry were caught

and Chrysler going bankrupt, I’m sure it’s put a major strain

er. There seems to be this negative stereotype of the members

two years, it has been economically brutal. And with GM

on the UAW. What is the UAW doing right now to attract more members?

of the UAW. What has changed and why should the general public look differently at the UAW today?

GH: If you were able to witness what is going on behind the

GH: I think we’ve demonstrated largely that we’re not just a

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, you would be very elated

a union that’s out to really destroy or bust a company, but to

scenes with the parent companies that we have, which are

to see…the work relationships…that have not been very visible to the public. And speaking from a Chrysler standpoint, the relationship between the UAW and Chrysler, LLC is just

absolutely remarkable. We have recognized that we’re all in

the same boat; our attention and detail to quality will not be surpassed by anyone by the time we’re finally done. We’re all 100 percent in favor of World Class Manufacturing (WCM).

We don’t call it a program, but a way of life.

WCM is a quality initiative that was presented to us by

Fiat, first introduced during the negotiation process during the bankruptcy. The UAW, through myself, accepted the

WCM as part of the agreement, and after witnessing that

particular process and way of life in its natural habitat (in Italy

and in Europe), it was unlike anything that I have witnessed

before. I don’t think the process exists here in the United

union that is seeking dues from its membership; that we’re not

work with them and to demonstrate to the companies at large that we bring a lot of added value. …The membership that we

do have realizes that we are truly supporting their best interests. I am on the forefront of World Class Manufacturing. I

have stepped out there with the company; in some cases, I am ahead of them. I became the guy that is preaching quality to

the workers. I am telling them not to let anything that’s not of

top quality go out of those factories, that we will pay a price, a tremendous price, provided that happens, and that the very

jobs they save may be their own. Also, I have told them they

should inspect every part, even if it’s from a vendor or supplier, because we need to know whom it is that is sending inferior

parts into those facilities, that it’s not always just the workers

on the line that are doing inferior work, but it’s the parts that they receive from their suppliers.

States as a quality initiative. But it is certainly going to set

So there’s a new focus on suppliers that President Bob King

out the United States.… My coworkers, the employees of

with Ford and General Motors alike, and we have become

Chrysler aside from anyone else in manufacturing throughChrysler, LLC, are excited over it. It’s transforming not only our facilities, but also the attitudes and the culture amongst

the employees within the workplace. They are excited; they’re on fire.

CCN: Is the UAW looking beyond the United States borders?

GH: Well, we’re in a global competitive fight in today’s market. It’s not like the days of old, when it was just domestic competition. The competition is not only fierce, but it is over

capacitated. There are a lot of automotive manufacturers out here in business today and they’re all playing to win…. So we

have come to that realization that we’re in a global battle, and

Spring 2011

off guard with so many Americans not backing the autowork-

has brought to the forefront, not just with Chrysler, but advocates with these companies that we represent. Not just in the car sector, but I also represent Volvo, Freight Liner

and Mack within the heavy truck sector, right along with

General Dynamics. And we’re looking to foster great relationships. They see another side to us, and it’s not us beating the

companies up, or them beating up the unions, but us working together to leverage the best possible employees that we can

afford to give to the company, and also us leveraging the best products that are made by UAW American workers. We just don’t believe that there’s any finer work class out there than American workers, and we feel that, in working together with

the companies, we can have the best class of work for the money they have to spend.

our achievements to date are just remarkable, if you could just

CCN: You bring up a very interesting point. In August 2002,

together, we are not only going to take Chrysler to the top of

the UAW at the time, in the Detroit Free Press. I copied the

see the things that we are doing. But with all of us pulling that heap, but everyone will be looking in their rearview mirror, because here we come.

Customer Care News

I read a quote from Bob King, who was the vice president of quote and have used it in some of my education and training.

He said, “If we want to keep manufacturing jobs in the United

States, which is a major objective of the UAW, then we can’t

work. We have got to tell them that this is just not the way

we have an adversarial relationship, then we’ll see more work

products to get outside of the facilities. And we have to make

be fighting management where we represent members. And if going overseas.”

GH: … It’s ironic that you should raise that today, because

just earlier this morning we had a meeting, and he echoed

those words again. …He is saying we shouldn’t fight with

the companies that are very supportive of our members, and

we do things today, and we cannot and will not allow inferior

sure that we’re in lock-step with the management, not only

from the facilities, but at the highest corporate level, and also

be very transparent with one another in our day-to-day deal-

ings as they relate to quality and productivity. You know that customer satisfaction means everything in today’s market.

that we should give every bit we can give to remove barriers

CCN: When we talk about customer service, it is beyond just

and work through our problems. We have done some tremen-

your car. I think that all the people who are working in a facil-

in working with one another, so that we can continue to talk

dous things in the agreements at Ford, General Motors and

Chrysler that have made us competitive across the landscape.

So we can roll our sleeves up and we can fence with the best

the external customer who comes into a showroom and buys ity, in a plant, are customers to one another. We are all each other’s customers, don’t you think?

of them. The quality within General Motors and Ford are on

GH: Absolutely! We are all each other’s customers. …In every

surpassed them.

who you are — is a direct customer to one another…. We’re all

par with the Japanese autoworkers; in some cases, Ford has

CCN: This seems to signal a shift in the old industrial mindset that’s been prevalent since the 1900s to a more customerservice-oriented philosophy.

GH: Yes, it is, and it is all about us rebranding ourselves to the degree that we would be more effective in bringing people

facility that we work in, each employee — it doesn’t matter

customers. We should have the respect down the food chain for one another that we’re not sending inferior parts or we’re

not doing an inferior job that’s going to prohibit or inhibit

him/her from getting his/her job done. I’ve told the employees, “When that product rolls out the door, it’s got to say ‘you.’ …That car ought to resemble you.”

into the union, with a customer service philosophy. The public

…And the facilities have to resemble the workers. We have to

it’s not a bad idea to have unions aboard.” Ron Gettelfinger

witnessed already over in Italy. The facilities are hospital

or private sector would be more apt to say, “Hey, you know,

did quite a bit of that, too, while he was here. He laid a lot of groundwork, and it’s a credit to Bob King that he made that

statement in 2002. He’s got that mantle in his hand today.

… I’ve seen a shift in a lot of things that I would never have dreamed possible because of his leadership and because of

what we’re doing together as a union along with the management. It’s a different mindset altogether.

CCN: In recent years, American cars have begun to take over the lead spots in customer satisfaction and quality. How has the UAW contributed to this growth?

GH: Again, in today’s morning meeting, Bob King empha-

sized the importance of quality. It is him reminding us as

leaders of the UAW that we cannot forget that we have to play

clean, with no stretch of the imagination.

CCN: I agree with you. When you walk into a place, and it’s clean, people are proud of it.

GH: There’s instant pride. We’re going through that same transformation within Chrysler. It was part of an awakening for me when I went to Turin, Italy, and over to Naples and over to Poland to visit the Fiat facilities. I had to put coverings over

my shoes. I couldn’t walk in there with just my shoes. I had to put on a white shop coat, and when we walked through the

facilities the place was spotless. I mean hospital clean, even the restrooms. …This is a credit to all the employees there

that sustain the facilities every day, and I said to myself, “Why can’t we have this?”

sure that we’re very supportive of that — that the best goes in,

During the bankruptcy proceedings with Chrysler and negoti-

rienced some members and coworkers buying off on inferior

said to me across the table. He said, “General, I’m going to

and that we only get the best out.… In the past, we’ve expe-

ations that was one of the first things that Sergio Marchionne

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Spring 2011

the role as it relates to quality and productivity, and making

make sure that they are hospital clean; something that we’ve

tell you: there are no ifs, ands or buts about this….I’m tell-

It’s because of their principles, and we were able to go over

come to Chrysler.” I said to him, “Well what is World Class

Sergio Marchionne told the employees at the Jefferson

ing you if I can’t have World Class Manufacturing, I won’t Manufacturing? I think we build nice-quality products now.”

He said, “No. No, you don’t. And I know you don’t know what World Class Manufacturing is.” I said, “Well, I think I do.”

Well, I did think I knew.

“Well, before we throw the baby out with the bath water, someone needs to give me a crash course so I can understand

what it is that you’re asking for. I can’t either bless it or deny

it if I don’t know what it is that you’re talking

about,” I said. So he says, “I’ll take care of

North Assembly Plant he was going to shut the plant down, and that they were going to clean it up, they were like deer

in headlights. He did that, and he invested in them; he

invested the time in those employees and the money, and all the cleaning materials to get the job done. You would not believe what you see down there now; they are so full of pride.

That day President Barack Obama went through there on a

tour he was blown away…just looking at the processes and

the way the employees were presenting to him with all the pride. I haven’t seen that in Chrysler; in all my years, I’ve never seen it.

that.”

…The head guy in Italy that runs WCM operations said to

CCN: Looking at the

culture in every facility, and we need to find out what it is in

Italian workforce, what would you and the

UAW like to pull from them and incorporate into

the

workforce?

American

GH: It would be World

Class Manufacturing.

It’s

their

toward

attitude

quality

and

it’s their attitude toward sustainment of the processes that

they have created to help get them to World Class Manufacturing. And it’s their attitude to being the best at what it is that they do, and truly mean it. I see it in

every fiber of their beings, in how they work very closely with

me, “General, there’s a culture in every plant. …There is a

Jefferson. They told me it’s a community thing, them working

together. That’s not the culture. There’s something very special that they all share. And we found it in each of the plants in Italy. …And they just took off.”

And he says, “…These are the things that we want to tap into

to say, ‘We’re not just a car company. We’re a people company, and we’re an employee company.’ …And if they’re happy, we’re

going to get the best out of them…. It’s going to show in the products; it’s going to show in the facility. …Once you figure

out what it is that makes them tick, you’re not going to beat them.”

CCN: If you had one thing to say to the American public right now, about the UAW today, what would it be?

one another, employee with employee. And I couldn’t tell

GH: We’re not the UAW of old. …Leave the light on for

ity…and who were the employees. They all were a very close-

act with you and work with the employees. We are not here

|you who was the management when I walked in that facilknit group.

And I said to the union that we met with over there, “We just launched the Grand Cherokee, and it is heralded as the best Grand Cherokee ever built by Chrysler. When that thing rolled off the line, it had a little bit of you guys in it,

Spring 2011

and take a look at how they do it with an open mind. When

because you guys showed us how to make that the best Grand

Cherokee ever built.” And I said, “Guess what? It is. It is the

best one that we have ever built. And that’s no stretch; it’s the truth. That automobile is solid.”

Customer Care News

us; we’ll come in, we’ll show you what we can do and interto destroy a company, but to work better and in harmony.

We recognize that we’re in a global war with our competition. This is America, we want to make it a happy place to

live and to work, and we want to see our children grow up [to be] strong, contributing adults. We want to make certain

that the family unit survives here in America, and we want our companies and our businesses, our industrial manufacturing base, to be sustained and to surpass everyone. So, in

working together, we know that we can accomplish that. We are the new UAW. CCN

CustomerCare News

Spring 2011

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Research shows that the reason customer satisfaction is so important is because of its impact on the many factors that affect a company’s bottom line. It generates higher customer loyalty, repeat business and increased revenue. In general terms, more satisfied customers make happier business owners, shareholders, employees and managers. The more a company focuses on customer care, the more it reaps the rewards of higher customer satisfaction. This creates a customer who will be more loyal, spend more money, treat staff better and spread the word online in everyday conversation. Happy Customers beget Happy Bottom Line and Happy Reputation Management Stakeholders.

This should be the call of every company in America. page 6

Thus, customercarenews.com was created to shed light on issues and trends in the area of customer satisfaction and customer care. The publication will cover the leading industry providers of education and resources, which are vital to assisting companies in improving their customer satisfaction scores.

As a subscriber to Customer Care News, you will be engaged with the latest solutions to underlying problems that inhibit the best intentions as they relate to improving customer care. Read each issue by subscribing to the magazine.

Do so by going to our website at customercarenews.com or e-mail us at subscriptions@customercarenews.com.

Customer Care News Magazine 32000 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 128 • Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Engineering Students and E.I. 887-498-6405 ext. 800 page 10

A Celebration Media Publication

Goren and Associates, Inc. We Believe Learning is a Process, Not an Event!

Goren and Associates Inc., headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, is an organizational training, executive coaching, and consulting company since 1981.

We design and develop customized courses to fit the needs of our clients. Our goal is to create a collaborative partnership with our clients. Together, we strategically assess, define, develop and deliver the highest quality and relevant learning solutions for employees.

• deliver high energy, instructor-led training • certify the organization’s trainers to facilitate our coursework • work with poor functioning teams to become re-aligned, resulting in higher performance • assist organizations in managing all phases of a change initiative • deliver organization and employee assessments • provide one-on-one leadership coaching • facilitate strategic planning and visioning • facilitate executive retreats

Goren and Associates, Inc. 32000 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 128 Farmington, MI 48334 800.851.0824 www. gorentrain.com

Our Belief Goren and Associates believes that people are a company’s most important investor. Yes, investor! They choose where, when, and how to invest their time, effort, skills, knowledge and attitude. These investors are the organization’s most valuable and vital resource.

We believe that a performance driven culture where employees are treated as assets whose value can be enhanced through investments, creates a win-win return-on-investment (ROI) for both the organization and its investors.