July 12, 2009
I Love You Man!!!
Customer: I would like to exchange/refund this ball.
Worker: I don’t know how to do that. Let me find someone that can.
Customer: Sure
New Worker: I know how to do that, but I need approval first.
What the hell!!! I know that’s my first response. You work here but can’t do something or know how to do something and not empowered to do so…what the hell!!! Wouldn’t it be great to be able to talk to one person to get this done.
Building relationships is key to any bussines success. Part ot that is training your staff, empowering your staff, teamwork and a customer oriented staff.
I don’t think there is any more important aspects of a company than these traits. Why? Because they are interlinked. I first must be trained in my responsibilities and what the company’s expect of me. Once I’m trained…allow me me to make decisions with the training you have provided me. After I’ve become confidant in my areas of responsibility, I then can work with other departments. Then I start to realize all the components that make our company run. Not only that but how one department effects another department. After this truly comes the customer oriented staff. Because they know now how all the cogs in the company makes the company move forward. Then we can provide effective and reliable customer service…..in turn building relationships with our customers.
Customer: I would like to exchange/refund this ball.
Worker: No problem!
Customer: Thanks 
Worker: Was there anything else I could help you with? Customer: Not now. Worker: By the way we are having a sale on our new widgets!! Once again we appreciate your business….see you soon! Customer: Where were those widgets…………..
What Does The Customer Want?
What does the customer want or need? Should be one of the first questions we ask ourselves. Whether we are providing a service or product. Our product or service should create an experience with our customer that our competitor can’t compare to.
We do that with marketing concept; which will get us to market orientation. So it cant just be or store is cleaner, prices lower etc… What is the WOW factor that makes them pay the little extra, drive a little further to keeping come back. There are many examples of this going on in today business.
Wanna go to the movies with you hunky-hunky burning love….but no babysitter. Harkins Theaters in Southlake provides daycare while you’re enjoying your movie. You need new insurance and you hate calling for quotes. Progressive insurance not only provides price comparison with other insurance companies; they also offer policies around your budget. There are multiple companies that offer price matching from grocery stores, electronic stores and a slew of others. These are great examples of market orientation. However we can never rest on what we provide today….but what else can we provide or do that creates a new WOW factor in the future.