Getting It Right For Customers
It's easy to put small touches to a product or service that make you stand out from "the rest". Some find this comes easily, others take longer to understand what this may mean for them.
Recently, I went to buy a cordless telephone for my ageing
parents-in-law. The idea was that they wouldn't have to get up and go to the
phone, but instead that they would have a cordless handset with them in the
house, wherever they were. The store I went to was one of the larger department
stores and had a "reasonable" selection of phones.
I was thinking of getting a set of three to four phones (one
"base" unit and two-three extra "remote" handset) that
could be positioned conveniently around the house so that there was always a
phone nearby. This was where the problems started. The store only sold in sets
of two (base and remote handset), so really, I needed to buy two sets of two
phones if I was to get the four that I wanted. I decided that this was acceptable on the
basis that if I REALLY needed four, I could buy an extra two. The sales
assistant showed me the contents of the box which included the power cables for
the charging bases for the handsets. On closer examination, I saw that the
plugs on the chargers had the European two-pin configuration, whereas for the
country in which my in-laws live, the standard plug is a UK three square-pin
configuration.
In other words, the store was selling something which was
unfit for purpose. The assistant showed me where to buy an adaptor (at extra
cost) that would solve my problem, but seemed mystified when I pointed out that
the store was selling something that was clearly unsuitable for the current
environment. Yes, the store would kindly
sell an adaptor, but my question was, would it be so difficult to specify to
the supplier that the charging units should be supplied with the correct
plug? Otherwise, what about including a
suitable adaptor as part of the deal?
This made me think about what I could and should be doing to
ensure that I provide those extra little "touches" that make a real
difference to my customers. It seems that in some markets, the
"almost-but-not-quite-there" approach is acceptable, but how much
extra effort would it REALLY take to provide that little bit extra that
distinguishes you from"the rest"?
I've heard people saying "We're no worse than anyone else." as
if to justify a substandard product or service. In this age of choice and
consumer ability to expose you on the Internet, there's little room for such
complacency.
You need to remember is that it's often the LITTLE THINGS
that count (like the example above with the plugs). They take little time and often cost little
or no effort, but show that you're putting yourself in your customers' shoes and
understand what matters to them. Examples could be:
·
Greeting them when they enter your premises;
·
Addressing them by name;
·
Keeping your promises (e.g. if you say you'll
call back, make sure you do);
·
Fixing any blemishes on a product you're selling
(even if its the last one);
·
Including something small (to you) free in the
price (think about the adapters above);
·
Having a "No questions asked" returns
policy;
·
Tidying up after you leave.
In the modern age of "packaged" or
"commoditised" services and products, many people have little room
for "individual" touches ("they're too expensive and don't make
money!"). however, if someone feels that you're treating them just that
but differently and that you care, the profits will speak for themselves.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy to offer solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Selling, Strategy
posted by William Martin @ 18:24
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