Passionate About Your Customers? Put Your Employees First.
Should employees come before clients?
I struggled with this question for years as the CEO of Brown Parker & DeMarinis Advertising.
I couldn’t imagine putting anyone or anything above the client. But along the way I realized, thanks to inspiration from Mr. Branson and others, that great customer service was only possible by putting the needs of my team above all else.
We re-wrote the company values, moved office spaces, revamped pay structures, rolled out a world-class benefits package, eliminated annual reviews in favor of monthly 1-2-1s, began a mentoring program, supported employees’ charitable causes….the list goes on.
Was it all worth it?
Recently, Brown Parker & DeMarinis Advertising was certified as a Great Place To Work by Fortune Magazine. This is a source of pride for the team and also helps with recruitment of new team members. Beyond the awards and accolades, what I really got in return was an engaged team. They know I care about them so they are willing to go the extra mile for me—and that means doing everything possible to always deliver great work/experiences to our clients.
If you are passionate about keeping your customers happy, I highly recommend you heed Mr. Branson’s advice. For me, my only regret is that I waited so long!
Jason Brown
Jason is CEO & Chief Strategy Officer of Brown Parker & DeMarinis (BPD), an internationally-recognized advertising agency that is on a mission to make health systems and hospitals the most beloved brands in the world. A pioneer in hospital marketing, BPD works with clients to unlock the power of their Purpose inside and outside their organizations, resulting in highly engaged employees and physicians and dramatically higher brand preference and service-line volumes.