Make Your Customer Your Friend
The simplest way to describe a 'durian' (pronounced doo-ree-ann) is to say it's a yellowish-green fruit about the size of an mid-sized watermelon. It has a thick skin of spikes, and a rich bitterish-sweet fruit. Known as the King of Fruits, it emits an overpoweringly pungent smell that lingers on for days, hence it's an item that's banned in hotels and airplanes. To those unaccustomed to its strong smell, it's something they wouldn't touch with a six-foot pole. But in Asia, this is an all-time local favorite. As much as I enjoy the fruit, you'd never find me volunteering to go out and buy it from the many roadside shacks that spring up each 'durian' season. The reason is simple - carrying a trunkload of 'durians' home would mean that my car would end up stinking for days afterwards. And a leftover pungent smell trapped in an air-conditioned car can be the worst thing ever, let me tell you!! So last year, when I found out that there's a guy who would actually deliver 'durians' fresh from his orchard to my doorstep, I was delighted. Now the 'Durian Man' has figured out there are lots of others like me out there who'd rather go into 'durian withdrawal' than drive around in a stinky car, and he's found his niche doing home deliveries. So what is the 'Durian Man' doing for me, his customer? He's providing me the convenience of not having to go out there in the heat and the traffic to buy 'durians' and stink up my car for something that I'm not even 100% sure will taste good. Other 'durian' sellers have found their niche in selling the fruit without its spiky skin. If you've ever tried to pry open a 'durian' yourself, you'll know it's best to leave this thorny task to the professionals. Some sellers offer to open the fruits as a free service to their customers, others sell the fruit pre-packaged in plastic boxes. Although plastic boxes cannot technically hold in the smell and prevent it from stinking up your car, they're a much better option to punctured palms and bleeding fingers. Lesson #1: Listen to your customers' problems. If there's anything you can do to make their lives easier, to save them time and effort, you may well have found your niche. Build your business around it, and you have a surefire winner. But the 'Durian Man' doesn't stop there. He handpicks the 'durians' for me (since I'm completely clueless at distinguishing a good fruit from an inferior one) and delivers only the best fruits. Not only that, he backs each fruit with his personal guarantee that it will be of the best quality - succulent and tasty. If any of his fruits turns out to be substandard, all I have to do is to call him, and he'll replace those fruits on my next order, plus throw in a couple more fruit as a goodwill gesture. Lesson #2: By backing his products with a personal guarantee, he is building the customer's trust in him, his products and indeed his business. Trust is the biggest factor in ensuring repeat business. It puts the customer completely at ease doing business with someone they know will deliver quality. And frankly, I'd rather do business with someone I know and trust than with a total stranger, wouldn't you? Fast forward to this week. He calls me to say, "Hey, listen, I'm driving into the city from my orchard, and I've got a batch of the freshest 'durians' this season. Really, these are the best so far. Want me to stop by your house with some?" Would you pass up an offer like that? It's been over six months since I last ordered from him, and frankly with the kind of schedule I'm running, 'durians' have to absolutely be the last thing on my mind. But hearing that 'durians' are in season again and knowing I don't have to lift a finger to go buy them was tempting. Without hesitation, I ordered a batch to be delivered the same afternoon! Lesson #3: Find a reason to contact your customers, keep them in the know, remind them that you're still around offering the same great customer service, and there's your repeat customer right there ;o). The 'Durian Man''s business tactics are not new but they work like a charm. Think about how you can adapt his tactics into your own business. Copyright 2004 Kit Lum. All rights in all media reserved. About The Author Kit Lum publishes Go Get Global Ezine which features advertising and web design services, and business and cultural resources to help small and home-based businesses profit from growing globally. Get more FREE tips like these at http://www.Go-GetGlobal.com.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Should I Have My Company Mystery Shopped?
I wish I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "Oh, you do Mystery Shopping; I always wanted to do that!" I think most people do find the thought of posing as a customer and reporting back on how they were treated, rather intriguing. But there is a lot more to it that skulking around in a trench coat and spy glass!
Client Service as a Competitive Advantage
As someone who has been heavily involved facilitating strategic planning processes with organizations during the last 15+ years, I often find it somewhat amusing how people answer the questions I pose.
Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!
Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of work, commitment to their customers, and excellent service. These statements are also proudly advanced in Mission, Vision, and Values Statements. They are foundational to success.
Empowering Customer Service Vital
It never fails to amaze me how many companies have
employees who are empowered to offer former customers
wonderful incentives to lure them back, yet their customer
service representatives have the ability to offer virtually
nothing to convince an unhappy customer to stay.
The Marvelous World of Metaphors
Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more
insight into your own innovation. Nobody can do it better than
you can!
How to Succeed in Business Without Compromising Your Integrity
I spent some twenty years in the corporate world, for much of it I was not particularly interested in spirituality. It was a world where profits reigned supreme, often with little respect for the rest of society.
Caring for Your Customers
You probably think I am going to say something like, "The customer is always right." Right?? Wrong.
Customer Conversion Mistakes That Will Cost You
The following are common mistakes that Sales Managers and Owners make in the sales process which could be costing you thousands or even hundreds of thousands in lost revenue.
Listening to Customers - 5 Tips
In a strange juxtapositioning of articles, this month's UK 'Management Today' has three pieces, relating to the importance of listening to customers.
What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side
Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing to the customer and a curse to you, the employee. At least so it seems. Although as the Customer Service representative for your employer, you are faced with a never-ending barrage of complaints, problems, and questions on a daily basis, the pressure of the job could easily become a source of anger, frustration, and other forms of counter-productive behaviors. You seem to live in a pressure-cooker of stress.
Are You Putting Technology Before Your Customers?
Which is more important the technology or the customer?
Cheap To Keep
You've heard it all before when it comes to stats about customer retention. Acquiring a customer costs five to 10 times more than retaining one. Repeat customers spend, on average, 67 percent more. After 10 purchases a customer has referred as many as seven other people.
Accountants / Lawyers Do Yourself a Favor - What do Your Customers Want?
In my day to day practice in strategic human resource management I often come across customers looking for a 'good' accountant or 'good lawyer'. As an accountant myself the common thread for a 'good acountant or lawyer' seems to be 'I want someone who can explain things in plain english without the jargon'. This simplicity of service and communications can grow your business and ensure that you never need to look for more work! And the sad fact is that there are many practioners that just don't deliver.
Profit from a Customer Service Recovery Program
A client recently said to me: "Most days things seem to run smoothly; but whenever we have a customer complaint, we seem to collapse. Where are we going wrong?"
Get Customers to Stop Calling You--12 Easy Ways to Save Money with Online Customer Support
Despite rumors to the contrary, the Web is not dead. More people are using it,
they have faster bandwidth, and in many cases Net-time is taking over TV-
time. It's no wonder more users are turning to the Net for help, rather than the
telephone. So why not take advantage by offering your customers help online
after the sale? Given that the average customer care call is $33, it's a great way
to please customers that prefer the Web over a phone queue and save money
too.
Doesnt Anybody Work Here? Nametags Impact Employee Communication
Walmart was the first business to require all its employees to wear nametags. (There's a surprise!) Sam Walton created this initiative because he wanted his customers to "get to know the people they bought from."
We Got It Wrong: Never Under Promise & Over Deliver
You know how it is, you believe something for so long, everyone agrees with you, all the books tell you it's true and then suddenly you have a blinding revelation - we've all been duped! You know like my gorilla mates were? (If you're not sure about my gorilla mates then you really need to read the book - we've got a great offer on at the moment!)
It?s Customer Service Stupid: Delivering Customer Service Training That Sticks
"Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense."
Boomerang Customers- What You Might NOT Think Brings Them Back!
With all of the calendars and PDA's and lists I make I recently did a really dumb thing. I forgot my best friend's birthday and her anniversary. Both special days are back to back and I forgot both of them. After being friends for twenty years I feel old and stupid!
Customer Loyalty
Loyal customers are the foundation of almost every business. Going the extra mile to provide outstanding customer service is the first step to customer loyalty. But there is more. Of course - your products and services in general need to be good. If you offer lousy uptime there is not really a reason to be loyal when being a customer. You just don't deliver, period.
|
