An Introduction To The Broken Windows Theory Of Business

When is a dirty bathroom a broken window?No,				don't even necessarily
that's not a riddle. It's a question that could today be				patronize those companies that fix their broken
at the				windows, if the less
core of a business's success or failure.Answer that				attentive one is in a more convenient location or has
question correctly				a slightly lower
and use that answer as a beacon, and your business				price.That's not to say we are all to blame when a
could dominate its				company has
competition indefinitely.Ignore the solution to the				broken windows and doesn't fix them, but it does
puzzle, and you				mean we all bear
will be condemning your business to failure in a very				some responsibility to stand up for what we actually
short period of				want and have
time.The "broken windows" theory, first put forth				every right to expect out of a company to which
by criminologist				we're giving our hard-earned
James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in a piece				money.In a capitalist society, we can assume that a
called "Broken				company
Windows" in the Atlantic Monthly magazine in March				that wants to succeed will do its best to fulfill the
1982, explains				desired of its
what a broken window is in criminal justice terms.But				consuming public.If the company sees sales slipping
the brilliance				but doesn't have
of that theory goes much further than one				data from consumers as to what made them
interpretation. It can and				decrease their spending on
should be applied to business, too, and it can make a				a retail level, the company will not necessarily know
critical				what to fix.Still, corporations and even small
difference- if American businesses will simply take				businesses that don't notice
the time and have				and repair their broken windows should not simply
the courage to notice.When Wilson and Kelling first				be forgiven
unveiled the theory, the idea of				because their consumers didn't make enough of a
concentrating on seemingly petty criminal acts like				fuss.It is the
graffiti or purse				responsibility of the business to tend to its own
snatching seemed absurd: How would a crackdown				house.The owner of a
on jaywalking lead				Starbucks franchise who decides that revenues are
to a decrease in murders?The broken windows				at a healthy level,
theory states that something as small and				such that he or she can put off painting the store
innocuous as a broken window does in fact send a				for another year, is
signal to those who				asking for trouble:Yes, things are fine now, but when
pass by every day. If it is left broken, the owner of				the paint is
the building isn't				faded and peeling and consumers are no longer
paying attention or doesn't care.That means more				getting the experience
serious				they've come to expect, it will be too late to fix
infractions...theft,				things with, literally, a
defacement, violent crime- might be condoned in this				fresh coat of paint.The time to repair broken
area as				windows is the minute
well.At best, it signals that no one is watching.This is				they occur.It's better, however, to prevent such
the heart of the broken windows theory: Wilson and				smashed panes of glass to
Kelling write that "social psychologists and police				begin with.This book will examine the origins of
officers tend to				broken windows into
agree that if a window in a building is broken and is				two purposes in mind. First, we will see how the
left unrepaired, all				small things that can snowball into
the rest of the windows will soon be				large problems develop so we can best illustrate
broken."Why?Because				how to
the				repair the damage once it's been done.But it is
message being sent out by a broken window- the				equally important to
perception it invites is				see how these things happen so that a smart
that the owner of this building and the people of the				business owner can make
community				sure to prevent them at- or before- the very first
around it don't care if this window is broken:They				sign of trouble.If you
have given up, and				have a policy to paint the store every year, you'll
anarchy reigns here.Do as you will, because nobody				never have to worry
cares.Wilson and Kelling suggested that a "broken				about whether this was the year you waited too
window"- any				long.In order to best understand how the broken
small indication that something is amiss and not being				windows theory
repaired- can				relates to business, it's important to examine the
lead to much larger problems.It sends signals, they				original theory- as it
said, that the bad				related to criminal activity- in some detail. Because of
guys are in charge here; no one cares about				the brilliant
maintaining some kind of				thinking of Wilson and Kelling, "Broken Windows"
order, and anyone who wishes to take advantage				illustrated a
of that situation				serious societal problem that was going unnoticed,
would be unopposed.It leads to lawlessness, a kind				and helped turn
of anarchy by				around some of the country's largest cities (including
neglect."Just as physicians now recognize the				the largest of all)
importance of fostering				by paying attention to detail.It began with a program
health rather than simply treating illness, so the				in New Jersey in the mid 1970s. The
police- and the rest of				Safe and Clean Neighborhoods Program was meant
us- ought to recognize the importance of				to improve the
maintaining, intact,				quality of life in twenty-eight Garden State cities,
communities without broken windows," wrote Wilson				and it was to do so,
and Kelling.Years later, Wilson told me that the idea				in part, by increasing the number of police officers
behind the broken				on foot patrol,
windows theory "had to do with the responsibility of				rather than in patrol cars. Police chiefs, Wilson says
the police to take				today, felt that
seriously small signs of disorder because people				such a move was not likely to lower crime levels,
were afraid of				"and the police
disorder, and there was a chance disorder could lead				chiefs were right: They didn't have an effect on
to more serious				crime rates. But they
crime."Still, critics of the theory greeted it with				did have an effect- and in my view, a powerful
skepticism, believing				effect- on how people
that attention to small infractions would necessarily				felt about their communities and their willingness to
would necessarily				use it, suggesting
decrease the amount of attention that could be				that fear of disorder was as important as fear of
devoted to much more				crime."Indeed, as Wilson and Kelling wrote in the
serious crimes.The same objection, in slightly less				Atlantic, "residents
genteel verbiage, was				of the foot-patrolled neighborhoods seemed to feel
raised when Rudolph Giuliani, the newly elected				more secure than
mayor of New York				persons in other areas, tended to believe that crime
City in 1994, announced his intention to eliminate				had been reduced,
graffiti on subway				and seemed to take fewer steps to protect
cars and move the hookers and pimps out of Times				themselves from crime
Square, to make				(staying at home with the doors locked, for
Manhattan more "family-friendly."Critics practically				example).Moreover,
laughed in				citizens in the foot-patrol areas had a more
Giuliani's face, intimating that the "law and order"				favorable opinion than did
mayor- who had				those living elsewhere."What does this all mean to
been elected based largely on his experience as a				business?It's not likely that having
U.S. attorney for the				police officers walk the aisles of a Wal-Mart store
New York area- was dealing with the small crimes				will increase sales.
because he knew he				But it was the perception that something was being
couldn't contain the larger ones.They were proved				done to increase
wrong.Giuliani and his new police				order that made the difference for the people living
commissioner, William Bratton, believed that if they				in these New
sent out clear				Jersey cities.In a business (as we'll discuss in detail
signals to criminals, and to New York's citizenry				through out this book), the broken windows
generally, that a				can be literal or metaphorical.Sometimes a
"zero tolerance" policy would be applied to all crime				broken window really is a broken window, and a
in the city, the				new pane of glass
result would be a safer, cleaner city.And the				needs to be installed as quickly as possible. Most of
statistics bore them out:				the time, however,
Over the following years, the numbers of murders,				broken windows are the little details, the tiny flaws,
assaults, robberies,				the overlooked
and other violent crimes all went down				minutiae, that signal much larger problems either
dramatically.And it had all				already in place or
started with graffiti on subway cars.I can hear you				about to become reality.We'll examine companies-
asking, "What does that have to do with my				huge ones, household names- that
business? It's all about crime and criminals."That same				have failed to notice and repair their broken
theory is applicable to the world of business.				windows and have
If the restroom at the local Burger King is out of				suffered greatly for it.We'll also look at those that
toilet paper, it				have made it a
signals that management isn't paying attention to the				priority to attend to every potentially broken
needs of its				window and ordered
clientele. That could lead the consumer to conclude				plenty of replacement panes to make quick,
that food at this				seamless repairs.The
restaurant might not be prepared adequately, that				lessons learned will be many, and varied, and they
there might be health				will have happy,
risks in coming here, or that the entire chain of fast				and not-so-happy endings.Sometimes companies that
food out outlets				deserve to be
simply doesn't care about its customers.Given that				rebuked for their laziness will go unpunished, but
scenario, it is not a stretch of the imagination but in				other times there
fact a point of logic to conclude that the broken				will be retribution at the hands of the public, which
windows theory				shows exactly
should be applied to business, as it was to the				what happens when you give people what they
problems of crime in				don't want.What the public wants more than anything
urban areas.Certainly, the perception of the average				else is to feel that
consumer is a				the business- retail or service-oriented, consumer or
vital part of every business, and if a retailer, service				business-to-business-
provider, or				that work for them care about what they
corporation is sending out signals that its approach is				want.Consumers
lackadaisical, its				are looking for businesses that anticipate and fulfill
methods halfhearted, and its execution indifferent,				their needs and do
the business in				so in a way that makes it clear the business
question could suffer severe- and in some cases,				understand the consumer's
irreparable- losses.This book is about broken windows				needs or wants and is doing its best to see them
in business: how they				satisfied.Broken windows indicate to the consumer
happen, why they happen, why they are ignored,				that the business
and the fatal				doesn't care- either that it is so poorly run it can't
consequences that can result from their being				possibly keep up
allowed to go				with its obligations or that it has become so oversize
unchecked.It is meant as a cautionary tale, a primer,				and arrogant that
a road map, a				it no longer cares about its core consumer. Either of
manifesto, and a salute to those companies that fix				these impressions
their broken				can be deadly to a business, and we'll see examples
windows promptly.It will explore not only specific				of both as we
examples of				proceed.If you run a business, and you truly believe
broken windows, how they occurred, and what their				that little things
long-term results				don't make a difference, you really should read this
were but also the culture that creates an				book- it may save
environment in which				your business.If you don't run a business but would
windows are broken and left unfixed.I believe that				like to, this can be
small things make a huge difference in business.The				the road map to your success. IF you're merely
messy condiment area at a fast food restaurant may				interested in business
lead				and wonder why one succeeds where a very similar
consumers to believe the company as a whole				one fails, perhaps
doesn't care about				the examples contained here might help answer that
cleanliness, and therefore the food itself might be in				question for you.But it can't be overemphasized that
question.Indifferent help at the counter in an upscale				tiny details- the smaller,
clothing store-even if just				the more important- can indeed make a tremendous
one clerk- can signal to the consumer that perhaps				difference in a
standards here				business's success or failure.Sometimes, yes, a
aren't as high as they might be (or used to be).An				company can make a
employee at the gas				huge mistake (the whole New Coke thing was less a
station who wears a T-shirt with an offensive slogan				broken window
can certainly				than a neutron bomb placed dead center on
cause some customers to switch brands of gasoline				corporate headquarters),
and lose an				but often, even those are foreshadowed by the
enormous company those customers for life.But				little things that go, alas,
that's only the tip of the iceberg. I think we as a				unnoticed.A broken window can be a sloppy counter,
society				a poorly located
have fostered and encouraged broken windows in				sale item, a randomly organized menu, or an
our business by				employee with a bad
standing by and letting them happen. If the waiter				attitude.It can be physical, like a faded, flaking paint
at a local chain				job, or symbolic,
restaurant is impolite, or even merely complacent,				like a policy that requires consumers to pay for
about our order, we				customer service.When the waiter at a Chinese
chalk it up to a bad day, one employee in one outlet				restaurant is named Billy Bob, that's a
of a large chain,				broken window.When a call for help assembling a
and we don't send a letter to management or the				bicycle results in a
corporate level.Even				twenty-minute hold on the phone (playing the same
if we do change brands of gasoline after seeing an				music over and
attendant in an				over), that's a broken window. When a consumer
offensive T-shirt, we do not write or e-mail the				asks why she can't
president of the oil				return her blouse at the counter and it told,
company to alert him to the problem.We are				"Because that's the rule,"
enablers to window				that is a broken window.They're everywhere.Except
breakers in every aspect of every business. We				at the really sharp businesses.Read on.

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An Introduction To The Broken Windows Theory Of Business