The Olympics have been like a cool blanket draped over all of the intensity we’ve been experiencing as a nation this summer. Just watching this picture of amateur excellence makes my heart happy. (Though of course many of these athletes are, indeed, professional … but for some reason, they don’t feel that way when competing under the flag of their nation.)
And indeed, with all the gloom out there, our mutual customers are looking for solace and for ports in the storm of everyday life. So here’s the question: is your business that kind of place?
Sure, they pay you for your products or services … but there’s more you can do. Very profitably, if you do it right, and a killer if you don’t.
Here’s what I mean…
Newtown Square, PA Businesses, Customer Experience and First Impressions
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” -Eugene Ionesco
As you must know, each customer you acquire has tremendous long-term value. However, most struggling Newtown Square, PA businesses I begin with fail to understand and work to preserve this value.
When I sit down with a Newtown Square, PA business owner, aside from cajoling them to raise their prices, we take a look at what things look like from the perspective of the prospect/customer.
What do they see/hear/feel first? First impressions are lasting impressions. Sad but true, that America does judge a book by its cover. As such, it’s very difficult to overcome a poorly-managed first impression.
So, think about your business: If telephone contact is the source of first impressions for many of your potential customers, are you giving careful and thorough consideration to how these calls are handled? Are you measuring success? Many businesses lose a tremendous amount of business by bungling this first telephone contact.
What if the first impression typically happens by the prospective customer walking in the door? Well, you need to give thought to specific procedures for meeting and greeting that person.
Most critically (if your business is a public retail business), I believe you need to give a great deal of attention to the store environment. It’s a good case study to observe businesses that have historically had lousy environments and are now losing their markets to new competitors who concentrate on environment. What’s worse is that folks in these sectors had accepted their poor environments as “just the way it is.”
Take the service station. It’s always been a dirty, grimy, greasy, unpleasant place. The waiting area for customers is usually a couple of cruddy, battered chairs thrown in the corner with a dirty vending machine and a stack of old, tattered Hot Rod magazines.
Well, today the neighborhood service station industry has lost control of getting customers from oil change business because new car care companies have a nice image, pleasant waiting area, and a new, progressive approach to customer environment. You can improve a great deal in your bottom line by fixing these problems. And doing it now!
After you make a sale, the “customer environment” is all about follow-up and follow-through. How would you react if…
… you got a call from your car dealer service manager a week after having some repairs done just to make sure everything is okay?
… you got a call from your doctor the evening after treatment just to check up on you?
… you got a questionnaire in the mail from a restaurant you dined at soliciting your comments and suggestions.
Some business people tell me “that’s looking for trouble.” I disagree. I think it’s looking for rapport, loyalty, satisfaction and repeat business.
Even better, if follow-up turns up a lot of dissatisfaction, well, now you know the problem and you need to make some changes! The dissatisfaction is there whether you discover it or not. And if you have no way of finding this info, you’re sunk.
There’s more you can do for profitable follow-up, and I’ll address that in a later note to you.
Again, I don’t pretend to be a “guru” … I just see what works, and I like to pass it on.
I’m grateful for our chance to serve you and your business — and we are dedicated to its success, in every measure.
Feel very free forward this article to a Newtown Square, PA business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance — or simply send them our way? While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for Newtown Square, PA families and business owners. And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.
Warmly,
Stephen Venuti
610-353-0686
Stephen J. Venuti, CPA, MST, LLC
