Business musings

The Problem

I wanted to book a van into the local tip at short notice to dispose of an old fridge whilst I still had the van on hire. Surely not too much to ask on a Friday morning? It wasn’t going to be that busy, was it?

I rang the City Council hotline, only to be told I have to book 24-hours in advance. Any chance of changing the rules just this once? Surely they had spaces left?

“Sorry sir, they print out the booking sheet at the beginning of every day. They won’t pick up your booking until tomorrow.”

A good reason for the 24-hour booking rule? I don’t think so!

A prime example of systems first, customer second. The frustrating thing is, it would be so easy to fix!

A Solution

There are lots of solutions! Solutions aren’t the problem these days with the continued advance of technology. You can get systems to do what you want, when you want. And with an increasing number of technology platforms, you can provide access to them far more easily.

The cheap and cheerful solution
The easiest and cheapest solution I came up with was emailing or texting new booking details from the central call centre to a pay as you go mobile located at the entrance to the tip. The booking details are then added to their paper list; job done!

What the customer would really like
However, in the world of business excellence and web technology, what customers expect is probably far beyond that. How about real-time telephone and online booking for your slot; online cancellations; postcode eligibility checking; text message reminders; and (if required for businesses) integrated payment system? And, at the tip, how about a rugged handheld Windows Mobile device with 3G access to check visitors off in real-time and keep up-to-date with bookings?

Worried about the cost? Factoring in the time saved at the call centre, higher tip utilisation, shorter waiting lists, plus the fact that a system like the above wouldn’t actually cost the earth to set up, you might be surprised at the speed with which you get a return on investment. You also have happy customers. And they’re priceless!

You wouldn’t catch us doing that!

It’s easy fall into the trap of making customers work around your systems, rather than the other way round. We get numb to our own systems because we use them all day, every day. Our customers don’t! It will never be possible to delight your customers by making them work around you.

Customer service first

By working around your customers and exceeding their expectations, you’ll pave the way to increased customer loyalty and positive word of mouth – both highly valuable commodities!

Systems can, and must, come second.

Technology and systems are, after all, adaptable and upgradable. Customers usually are not!

Try exploring your business through the eyes of a customer. What would frustrate you if you were on the receiving end of your business? How much of a difference would it make to you as a customer if the business had put your experience first?

Ask your customers how they experience your business. Ask them if there is anything they feel could be improved. Listen to that feedback.

Find out how much it would cost to make the changes.

Implement the improvements, and watch your customers smile.