Every Customer Has a NameBy Dr. Larry Grays
What happens when a company becomes really good at what it does but loses sight of who it does it for? Verizon is finding out. For years, Verizon built its reputation around having the best network. And there was a good reason for it. The network mattered. But under new CEO Dan Schulman, Verizon is making a significant shift: from being primarily network-focused to customer-focused. Why? Because despite investing heavily in network excellence, Verizon had been losing market share. Schulman has acknowledged that having a great network is foundational, but it isn’t enough. The company now wants to become a customer-obsessed organization, focusing on value, simplicity, and the overall customer experience. One phrase especially caught my attention from a recent podcast: “Every customer has a name.” That’s more than a marketing slogan. It’s a leadership philosophy. Think about our industry. We can have the cleanest store, the newest pumps, the best coffee, the fastest checkout, and the latest technology. But if the customer walks out feeling like a transaction instead of a person, we’ve missed something important. And here’s where leadership matters. Customers aren’t the only people who have names. 
Every employee has a name, too.
The cashier working the morning shift. The store manager covering another call-out. The assistant manager who has been quietly carrying more responsibility. The young employee who might become your next great leader if somebody takes the time to develop them. Great leadership starts when we stop seeing people as positions on an organizational chart and start seeing them as people with potential. That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about the GACS L.E.A.D. Academy. The Academy is designed to help convenience store owners, decision-makers, managers, and emerging leaders become better at the things that ultimately determine whether an organization thrives: defining leadership, building teams, resolving conflict, leading through change, casting vision, and communicating effectively. Because your customers will experience the quality of your leadership through your people. And your people will experience the quality of your leadership through you. If every customer has a name, every employee has a future. The question is: Are we developing it? Registration for the inaugural GACS L.E.A.D. Academy is now open, but the registration deadline is September 1. If you’ve already registered, thank you for investing in the future of our industry. If you haven’t, I’d encourage you to make the investment today. Let’s build an industry where we don’t just know our customers’ names. We know our people, and we develop them to lead. 
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