--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who comes first? Don't be silly, says…" description: "\"Who comes first? Don't be silly, says King Hal; it's employees. That is - and this dear Watson, is elementary - if you genuinely want to put customers ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/tom-peters-967_being-silly_who-comes-first-don-t-be-silly-says-king_1293232.png" --- # Who comes first? Don't be silly, says King Hal; it's… ![“Who comes first? Don't be silly, says King Hal; it's employees. That is - and this dear Watson, is elementary - if you genuinely want to put customers first, you must put employees more first.” quote by Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/tom-peters-967_being-silly_who-comes-first-don-t-be-silly-says-king_1293232.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/tom-peters-967_being-silly_who-comes-first-don-t-be-silly-says-king_1293232.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/tom-peters-967_being-silly_who-comes-first-don-t-be-silly-says-king_1293232.png) > “Who comes first? Don't be silly, says King Hal; it's employees. That is - and this dear Watson, is elementary - if you genuinely want to put customers first, you must put employees more first.” [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Putting employees first creates better service for customers, as happy staff deliver quality work. **In simple terms:** Happy staff lead to happy customers. Key Takeaway Prioritize employee wellbeing. Themes leadership service employee engagement Mood optimistic professional Type business motivational When to use this quote - retail management - hospitality - tech support Key Concepts organizational culture customer focus Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure employee satisfaction? - What policies support staff empowerment? A Different Perspective Employees may feel exploited if not truly valued. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-silly/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) ## Related quotes > [“You should devote at least 80% of your time to your personal business: talking to people, finding those who want to be your customers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romi-neustadt/you-should-devote-at-least-80-of-your-time-to-your-personal-business/) [Romi Neustadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romi-neustadt/) > [I want to give our customers the best quality products at an attainable price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-want-to-give-our-customers-the-best-quality-products-at-an/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [You want your customers to value your service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/you-want-your-customers-to-value-your-service/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [“The Three Buckets The first bucket contains the people who want to become our customers. They order and fall in love with our products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romi-neustadt/the-three-buckets-the-first-bucket-contains-the-people-who-want-to/) [Romi Neustadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romi-neustadt/) > [If you want customers to hear about you, make something worth talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-want-customers-to-hear-about-you-make-something-worth-talking/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“We want customers who need our clothing, not just desire it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/we-want-customers-who-need-our-clothing-not-just-desire-it/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [“Id you're finished picking out my flaws,maybe you'd like to tell me what you want now.I have other customers--" "You." "What was that?" "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/id-you-re-finished-picking-out-my-flaws-maybe-you-d-like-to-tell-me/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [Customers first, employees second, and shareholders third,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/customers-first-employees-second-and-shareholders-third/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Customers are first, Employees are Second and the Shareholders are third.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/think-maverick/customers-are-first-employees-are-second-and-the-shareholders-are/) Think Maverick > [“Empathy is not something we offer to our customers or our employees from nine to five... (it) is... "a second by second, minute by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/empathy-is-not-something-we-offer-to-our-customers-or-our-employees/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [The lesson for businesses is you are dealing with real people. 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Everything else follows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-m-mulcahy/what-do-you-really-believe-makes-a-difference-in-the-company-for-me/) [Anne M. Mulcahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-m-mulcahy/) > [When a company gets bigger, when it begins to bring on employees, it naturally goes through this tendency of wanting to control, of wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-randolph/when-a-company-gets-bigger-when-it-begins-to-bring-on-employees-it/) [Marc Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-randolph/) ## More by Tom Peters > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Anybody who is an entrepreneur is a person who essentially has impaired judgment. The odds of success are zilch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/anybody-who-is-an-entrepreneur-is-a-person-who-essentially-has/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Remember my mantra: distinct... or extinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/remember-my-mantra-distinct-or-extinct/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [A good collection is more than just the sum of its parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/a-good-collection-is-more-than-just-the-sum-of-its-parts/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Leaders' careers will usually be determined by their handling of one or two critical events that no one could possibly anticipate or plan for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/leaders-careers-will-usually-be-determined-by-their-handling-of-one/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I don't know what it means to manage the human imagination, but I do know that imagination is the main source of value in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-manage-the-human-imagination-but-i-do/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Hire disrespectful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/hire-disrespectful-people/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Hire for attitude. Train for skill... More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/hire-for-attitude-train-for-skill-more/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Think about the market, think about the design, and think about who is going to design for that market. Hit the mark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/think-about-the-market-think-about-the-design-and-think-about-who-is/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“The “Excellence Standard” is not about Grand Outcomes. In Zenlike terms, all we have is today. If the day’s work cannot be assessed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-excellence-standard-is-not-about-grand-outcomes-in-zenlike-terms/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The day firing becomes easy is the day to fire yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-day-firing-becomes-easy-is-the-day-to-fire-yourself/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Only pissed-off people change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/only-pissed-off-people-change-the-world/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [What you decide not to do is probably more important that what you decide to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/what-you-decide-not-to-do-is-probably-more-important-that-what-you/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) [Explore all 316 Tom Peters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## More Being silly quotes > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know that sometimes when you are really worried about something, it ends up not being nearly as bad as you think it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/i-know-that-sometimes-when-you-are-really-worried-about-something-it/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [Everyone feels like this at one point in their lives and sometimes atleast once a day :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-feels-like-this-at-one-point-in-their-lives-and-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't be silly and don't waste your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/don-t-be-silly-and-don-t-waste-your-time/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [Being silly is still allowed, not excluded by adulthood. What's excluded by adulthood is thoughtlessness, so be thoughtful and silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/being-silly-is-still-allowed-not-excluded-by-adulthood-what-s/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [When I get tired I start being extra silly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmitb/when-i-get-tired-i-start-being-extra-silly/) [ShmitB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmitb/) > [Bunny slippers remind me of who I am.You can't get a swelled head if you wear bunny slippers. You can't lose your sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/bunny-slippers-remind-me-of-who-i-am-you-can-t-get-a-swelled-head-if/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I like being silly cause it makes everything better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-being-silly-cause-it-makes-everything-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ I really enjoyed stepping into that side of \[princess Margaret\] and being silly and naughty and fun. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kirby/i-really-enjoyed-stepping-into-that-side-of-princess-margaret-and/) [Vanessa Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kirby/) > [Hey you! Don't be silly! Put a rubber on your willie!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/hey-you-don-t-be-silly-put-a-rubber-on-your-willie/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [Ok…so I really want a quote with LOTS of comments ^^ hehe sooooo, if your reading this and want to help me out, lol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/treasured4evr/ok-so-i-really-want-a-quote-with-lots-of-comments-hehe-sooooo-if-your/) Treasured4Evr > [Oh, don't be silly - EVERYONE wants this. Everyone wants to be \*us\*.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/oh-don-t-be-silly-everyone-wants-this-everyone-wants-to-be-us/) [Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/) > [Don’t be silly. Loving is easy. It’s finding someone to love you back that’s hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/don-t-be-silly-loving-is-easy-it-s-finding-someone-to-love-you-back/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [Kids love to be silly, they love to laugh, so I think it was natural for my kids to like the sort of books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/kids-love-to-be-silly-they-love-to-laugh-so-i-think-it-was-natural/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [Don't move your money from Bear! That's just being silly! Don't be silly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/don-t-move-your-money-from-bear-that-s-just-being-silly-don-t-be-silly/) [Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/) [Browse all 170 Being silly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-silly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who comes first? 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