Make it easy to get and keep customers
There are tons of examples of poor customer service, of customers walking out of business. But what about those companies that go further, those that practice Extreme Client Care? Who make us feel, if not loved, at least wanted? Or who makes it very easy to do business with them?
Some recent examples and lessons we can learn/incorporate into our own businesses:
Massachusetts Blue Cross and Blue Shield— my policy is renewing this month and not only did they send out an easy to read and understand renewal packet, when my account executive was on vacation during the time I needed to make changes, someone else stepped in and made it super easy for me to do what what i needed When was the last time you heard good things about a health insurance company?
Lesson: Is your business set up to handle client and customer inquiries/requests/updates and make it super easy, dare I say, even pleasant, in the process?
The home shopping network— I have a “little addiction” to watching HSN every time Wolfgang Puck is on the show. I absolutely adore his cookware and when he’s on HSN he does a lot of things that spark ideas for different foods etc. So kudos to Puck for showing me how to use his cookware and how easy it is to whip up delicious meals quickly (When was the last time you taught your customers and customers how to use your products/services?) and then there’s what HSN did (I only watch when Wolfgang is on so not sure when they implemented this)… now you can shop directly from your TV using your remote. No need to pick up the phone and wait on hold or grab your phone/computer/tablet. They have made it very easy to buy on impulse (I’ll save the pros and cons of this for another article).
Lesson: There are two here:
- How can you make it super easy to do business with you and
- How can you teach your customers to use your products and services?
and then there is Middlesex Savings Bank— have a great radio commercial about living and getting involved locally and the mindset that many of us who live locally share. They call it “a shared point of view on local day-to-day life” and go a step further. Middlesex has created a “personality quiz” on their site so we can see if they’re a good match. Just knowing about it makes you want to take the quiz and become a part of their community.
Lesson: There are two here:
- How can you create a community around your business?
- How can you break out of the mold of your industry and do something innovative?
It is one thing to read this post and think “interesting”. Another is to read it, jot down some quick answers to these questions, and schedule some time to take action/delegate/discuss with your colleagues/brain group.
What are you going to do?