The ten biggest problems with the last business age - the so called knowledge economy and information age - how much more information do we need, before we make a true decision, and take action...and ten suggestions...
THE PAST
7. ‘I never knew such service was possible’
Poor customer service is often the result of decisions being made well away from the front-line. Decision-making is too often held in centralised senior positions away from customers, so at best, when all is well, additional opportunities are not seized on (if a customer comes into your shop to buy a dress, and they buy a dress, that is not a sale, it is a transaction. It only becomes a ‘sale’ if they buy something else).
And, at worst, when things go wrong, your frontline people cannot do anything about it, and you lose not one customer, you lose many, as your ex-customer’s tale of woe spreads like wildfire.
The main reasons for these situations is lack of front-line decision-making authority, and exposing an organisation’s internal processes and procedures to our customers, rather than ensuring organisations have front-line decision makers…
THE FUTURE
7. ‘Delight your customer – make them want to buy’
Do your customers love you? Harley-Davidson’s do. Do your customers sing your praises from the rooftops? Once you have released the awesome potential of your people, focus that new power on serving, delighting, gobsmacking your customers, every day, in all that you do.
• Know your customers better than they know themselves, particularly online. Segment your customers into your own (not an industry’s) buying types.
• Yes, have a loyalty card; however you will learn so much more from customers who buy from you without needing a card. And card or no card, make it very very easy for your customers and potential customers to buy from you,
• In an age of technology and push button services, put real people at your front line, and make sure they have the real power to make decisions i.e. whatever decisions your customers need them to be able to make.
(And a 4th - and finally, every customer purchase (that’s every customer purchase) is an emotional decision. And they get very, very emotional, when things go wrong – this is a great opportunity to make them love you; however you only have a few critical minutes, sometimes seconds, to make it happen. This is where, and when, you need your very very best people)
E-mail me at david@nakedleader.com or post a comment or question:
Building on yesterday's entry, Bruce from London shares this:
"There are two different kinds of people - with the first, the whole room lights up, the moment they enter. With the second, the whole rooom lights up, the moment they leave"
What kind are you? And if you are the second, what are you going to personally do about it?