Get Set Up To Serve and To Succeed

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP

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I’m fixing my condo up a bit. You know what it is like… you get some new furniture, some new carpeting, etc. etc. Living in Central Florida, I like to have friends and associates over to visit and enjoy the weather we have here.

Like you, I shopped around town to first get educated about the marketplace and to learn about prices at various locations. Well, that was a big education for this single guy who knows precious little about colors, styles, etc. etc. Whew! However, it was a good learning experience.

Yet, one thing I noticed that caught my attention has ramifications for you and me in our business. I bought a lot of patio furniture and some carpeting from a large national chain store. I called ahead, talked with people in the flooring department and asked a lot of questions about outdoor carpet, tile, ceramic vs. porcelain, etc. This fashion-challenged guy was learning!

When I went to the store, the person I worked with was exceptionally helpful. He’s the kind of guy that a smart businessperson would want to hire. He was gracious, knowledgeable and even took me to departments in the store outside his assigned area.

But there was a problem. No, the problem wasn’t with my helpful store person. It was with their system. Their system required me to come back to the store just to sign some papers.

I called and asked if there was any way I could give my credit card information over the phone and/or e-mail and/or fax so I didn’t have to make the long trip over. Time is precious today. Your customers value saving time as much or more than saving money. With the Internet and voice communications today, there is often no need for physical contact in every area.

Well, when they repeatedly told me that they couldn’t take my money and “we’re not set up to operate that way,” I did like you would---I asked for the manager. When he answered the phone he was pleasant enough and I started by complimenting him and his people. Then I asked if there was any way I could avoid going through Orlando traffic (tourists can be rough here!) and taking 2 hours out of my day to just sign a form.

By the way, with fax machines, PDF, secure e-mail and digital signatures all legal, there is no excuse for a company not being able to operate this way. They could also record the conversation (with the full knowledge of both parties) and use that as well. I’m sure they have legal issues that have to be addressed, but this is possible and should be done for the benefit of customers.

However, the manager told me the same words, “We’re not set up to operate that way.” You’d think this was required memorization at company training meetings!

Hey! We’re not talking about Star Trek technology here to have Scotty beam us back and forth! We’re talking older technology (fax) or even phone and credit card with proper verification. This is done every day with mail order and trillions of dollars (yes, trillions) are spent that way.

Well, you probably know my take on this already. The point is that your company has enormous potential in cases like this. While this large national chain did such a great job in so many ways, they blew it in this one important area. That one area negated much of the good they had done previously.

Think about your business. What technologies can you implement to make the process of doing business with you easier, faster and cheaper for your customers? Thinking seriously about these possibilities and implementing them is a great way to gain a competitive advantage.

The economy in the US is coming back strong in many areas. If you’re in an area that is lagging the recovery, now is a great time to think about ways to streamline your operations with a customer-focus mindset. My experience with the national chain illustrates that their thinking was on their way of doing business, not on the customers’ way of doing business. As a small businessperson, you have a real advantage. You can make a decision quickly without going through all the politics and corporate morass that this larger company has to contend with regularly.

Use the Net. Think of multiple ways that a customer can work with you through the Net.

Just yesterday, I had a wonderful experience with a company called Disc Makers (www.discmakers.com) that is doing it right. I wanted to produce some CDs based on an MP3 training audio I had produced about new technologies and success for speakers. In the old days we had to burn all the CDs ourselves. Now, with Disc Makers, I have my account set up (thanks to their very helpful customer service with live people in addition to the technology!), I have the artwork that I designed online ready to go for future sales. A few clicks of the mouse, from any Net-accessible computer, gives me the ability to send CDs from one to millions to people around the world. Disc Makers leverages the technology and passes the savings on to me.

Get your systems set up to serve your customers easily and smoothly. Having customer-focused service abilities will provide you with a decisive advantage now and into the future. This will lead to your success. Who knows, maybe that national chain will get the idea someday also.

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2004, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted without prior written permission

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