The Emerging Customer
By Bob Hobbi, President & CEO of ServiceElements
In this fast paced age of information, our customers have very busy lives as well. Our customers have to keep up with their own challenges and “to do” lists. Many of them are working longer hours just to keep up.
These time-crunched customers seek out services that can save time with added convenience and service. Emerging customers rank convenience much higher than a low price tag. Yes, they want fair pricing, but they are willing to pay more for those products and services that save time and make their lives easier and hassle free.
There are various ways for us to seek out and provide more convenient services. But before we do, the whole organization, the business, the team must passionately and unanimously believe in this mission. After all, isn’t that our promise anyway? Isn’t an aircraft’s basic use to save time? Isn’t its purpose to create and address convenience? So, we must delve deeper into finding out more about our customers.
We have to seek out ways to enhance our services and conveniences. This may be achieved by improving our current services through increasing the consistency of our performance. Or it may be achieved by finding out new ways of accomplishing old tasks. Or by simply finding new conveniences, needs and wants. This is more difficult than it sounds. But it has become a necessity. Otherwise, we are just like everyone else. We will become stale.
Once we have discovered additional convenience service opportunities, it is important to set a plan for implementation. Some say, “It’s not easy to find out information from customers” or “What else can we do? We already do a lot!” Others think, “These are just little things. The customers won’t even notice!” Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! It is not easy to find information, but where there is a will there is a way. Don’t look for the big silver bullet. Good service is in the small details. If we do not go on the quest of finding ways to enhance our services and value, someone else will enhance theirs. There is a real danger in “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” when it comes to customer service. It is in a continuous state of “fixing”. Think about the flight departments or businesses that do not exist anymore. They probably followed that motto—that’s why their customers/passengers are no longer using them.
Finally, good customer service means a continuous quest to improve service which equals happy customers, which equals job security and career growth. There are many alternatives for our customers and passengers. Do not be the one that used to be the choice!!!
Copyright©ServiceElements International, Inc. 2008-2009
ServiceElements International, Inc., motivational training providers
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