I read at businessweek.com yesterday about the new book In-N-Out Burger: Professionalizing Fast-Food by Stacy Perman. She tells the story of the enormous success this business has had and points out it has been due primarily to the vision of the deceased founders Harry and Esther Snyder, the management qualities and the great treatment of its employees.

Living in California for many years and having two family members that work there for 6-8 years I can attest firsthand they are amazing from the customer perspective. They beat any fast-food chain out there hands down when it comes to the service, the quality and those yummy burgers!! (I’m thinking right now how great it would be to have a #2 animal style with a lemon-up…wow!).

However, even though they still are THE best in fast-food anywhere in the U.S. (even though they are only on the west coast currently…please come to Tennessee!) they have begun to lose their edge in my opinion because the vision and passion built by the Snyder family has begun to slip away since they are no longer around to run the company.

The first place this is showing up is in the stores with the treatment of the employees. I’m not saying they are mistreating all the employees…what I am saying is they have become more focused on the bottom-line than the employee and if anyone went underground (people are concerned about being black listed there just like in any company) and interviewed employees who were there in the Snyder years, they would see the huge changes that have occurred inside the In-N-Out Burger culture. The emphasis on the training requirements and the value of the important role the employee plays is waning. Many simply stay because they are one of the better paying jobs around.

Sadly this is nothing new. It has happened in most companies and continues to be the case. What’s my point? Well first off, I’m not picking on In-N-Out Burger (I love their food!) I am just making the point employers looking to be a leader in this new 21st century marketplace must embrace and utilize the asset of having great employees if they want to deliver great customer service.

In-N-Out Burger did this so well! When I taught classes on marketing I would use them as an example of the importance of excellent leadership and training to set your business apart from competitors. Think about it. Every where they had a store there was a McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King right around the corner. These places would all pull from the same local labor pool (mostly high school age kids) yet…In-N-Out Burger’s customer service was so superior they were not even in the same universe as their competitors. The “associates” were always, super courteous, clean, attentive, team players, and excellent in every way. In all my years I never ever got a moody, unfriendly, uncaring associate wait on me. It was always the best service!

How can that be? What is the difference? What is the In-N-Out Burger’s secret?

I believe the factors that attributes to this amazing difference is really very, very simple.

In-N-Out Burger’s philosophy was founded on the principles of excellent, accountable leadership (not a lot of lip service leadership), the customer is the reason we are here and treating our employees as esteemed partners (i.e. associates) will accomplish our daily goal to deliver the very best in what we do. Not rocket science! Just be good to people and it will pay off.

Exceptional customer relationships is the only platform a business has left to make their mark and succeed in my opinion. You can have all the bells and whistles going for you but in the end after the parade has passed it all boils down to…

do people really enjoy the connection with you?

If you have employees…they are your personal representation of your connecting…or not.

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