Small Business Revitalization Blog

All businesses have rules – some are simple, smart and understood by everyone; others are stupid, senseless and resisted by everyone.  Simple rules make you efficient, they make you money and they make your team and customers happy.  Stupid rules ensure you and your brand will be talked about for all of the wrong reasons…

Let me give you an example.  On the weekend I went to the Queensland Art Gallery. My sweetheart was carrying a bottle of water.  At the entrance we were informed that the water could not be carried around – it would have to be put into a bag.  Not only that, they would supply a bag if we didn’t have one!

Further discussion with the staff member revealed that you could not drink water whilst in the gallery – for reasons which are still mostly unclear, but seemed to relate to the risk of spillage.  Less than 20 metres away, inside the gallery is a lovely water feature that is easy to splash in if you feel like it… This ‘water in a bag’ rule is illogical, inconsiderate of visitors and makes the gallery look insane.

I’ve been to some of the best art galleries in the world, and never has anyone suggested I could not have a drink of water or carry around a water bottle. Australia is one of the hottest countries in the world. Does QAG really think that people will visit for hours on end without sustenance? (And no, don’t suggest the Café – sadly it was overpriced and the service underwhelming…)

I don’t know what their marketing cost of acquisition per visitor is, but it seems to me that the benefits arising from having a staff member mop up a spill if the unlikely was to occur would far outweigh the costs. Does this rule create a thirst for art or thirsty visitors?

What crazy rules are ruining your business? What written or unwritten rules are enforced in your business that annoy your customers or staff and create virtually no value except a sense of satisfaction for the bureaucratic bore who invented them?  What would happen if you expected the best of your customers and staff instead of the worst?

Today’s task is to go find a few stupid rules and get rid of them – it is so easy to create happiness in business… why do so many make it so difficult?

Has it ever occurred to you that what you think is great service is actually only the ‘entry level’ activities which allow your clients to put you on the list of possible suppliers? If not, you may be in for a rude shock!

Recently I listened to a senior manager from a large transport company talk about the new improvements to their tracking technology and delivery service. The transport company thought they had delivered an exciting groundbreaking service.  

My business coaching client who uses this company was scratching his head wondering what was so special – these were things he’d been requesting for years!   All they’d done was fix the bugs in their systems and provide service basics that should have already been available!

Sadly this amazing new service was at best the ‘point of entry’ from my client’s perspective – so instead of being ecstatic about this news, my client took it as ‘done, thanks, what’s next…’.  

Imagine if this transport company had taken a little time to talk to their clients and include some ‘extras’ which would offer their clients genuine and extraordinary value based on their knowledge of the transport industry and their clients businesses.

What if they invited the top 10 fastest growing clients (yes there are plenty out there even in the GFC!) and took them away for a business building weekend…   Any business owner who has double digit growth in this market would jump at the chance to meet others with similar experiences… who knows what business opportunities could arise from such an event! Most importantly, the transport company would be positioned as the really smart operators who created further growth in their clients business…

Think about this for one second.  If these businesses grow even faster, the transport company grows too -  each of these businesses rely on transport for customer deliveries… it is a total win-win! Why wouldn’t you do it?

What extraordinary experiences and ideas can you offer your clients for mutual benefit?  Take 10 minutes to think of 5 'A List' clients and 5 phenomenal ways to add value to both of your businesses.  Then action at least one and measure your results!  My business coaching tip for this post? You may want to work ON your business more often!!!

For most of us, dealing with unhappy customers is something we'd rather avoid.  Until the advent of social media, the ramifications of NOT 'doing the right thing' were relatively manageable. Not anymore!  In just ten days, Canadian band Sons of Maxwell have had more than 3 million people view their YouTube video "United Breaks Guitars" and 15000 people comment!!! And that's not counting the media coverage the song is getting... CNN, Fox News and more... 

What a customer service and public relations fiasco for United!  And what a great marketing opportunity for Sons of Maxwell!  After 50,000 YouTube views, United Airlines finally got the picture and started talking to the guy with the broken guitar.  Here's a few business lessons that any business owner can take away from United's very expensive mistake...

1. If a customer with a complaint has to talk to more than 2 people to resolve their issue, think about the wages you are paying out whilst they struggle to get a resolution.  Wouldn't you rather create goodwill with that money?  I'm pretty sure that United spent more on wages than the guitar repairs would have cost them...

2. Are your customer service systems designed to make your customers love your business or hate it?  Organise to have your business mystery shopped by 'customers' with complaints - you'll soon find the twitchy bits!  Solve problems before they become a problem - it's often cheaper!

3. Never underestimate the power of an unhappy customer... whether they can sing, gossip, pull strings, share on social media or are just very determined to get 'justice' whatever it takes, you cannot predict what an unhappy customer will do.  What can your staff do to ensure every situation is turned around in a way that is satisfactory for the customer?

Now, of course there are some people that will complain about anything, just to see what they can get.  I am certainly not suggesting that you give money back willy nilly without the situation being genuine and justifiable.  Design an effective customer service strategy which can:

• Ascertain the real facts surrounding the situation.
• Provide a timely and simple response from the customer perspective.
• Minimise damage to your business - word of mouth is both the best publicity and the worst... which one is up to you!!

On my desk is a small flyer from a local cleaning company.  I receive a promotional flyer in my letterbox every few weeks from the same company.  My prediction is that this business will never be particularly successful for one small but significant reason… the owner of the company leaves all responsibility for service delivery to the contract cleaning staff. Not only that, the owner does not respond in a meaningful way to customer complaints!  

How do I know this?  Until this week I was a regular client… at least I was trying to be… there seemed to be a small problem for the contractor in turning up at the prearranged time every fortnight.  It was a small problem for the contractor, unfortunately it was a big problem for me if they didn’t arrive – I see clients in my home and I don’t have time to clean if the cleaner doesn’t turn up! After the third ‘no show’ in less than 4 months, I found a new cleaner!!

Why couldn’t the business owner solve this problem?  It’s probably because of the way that business is (mis)managed…  Here’s three ways any service business owner can exceed client expectations and win a customer for life…

1.    Take responsibility for delivering what you promised… no matter what!  If you are unresponsive to a customer, then expect to lose that customer sooner rather than later… Take the time to understand WHY this customer needs your services so much – it will enable you to be creative and responsive in meeting and exceeding their expectations.

2.    Ask for feedback regularly and take genuine action to resolve any twitchy issues.  I had already raised the service issue with the cleaning company however it was clear they were not interested in resolving my problem effectively. A professional, responsive approach could have turned me into a long term (ie very profitable…) client instead of a lost client!  Knowing the ‘make or break’ issues from the clients perspective will ensure decisions go your way…

3.    Listen closely to the client requirements, ask lots of questions and then plan to exceed their expectations in one small area.  For example, I’d asked the cleaner to let me know when cleaning products were almost empty so that I could ensure a ready supply… instead of forgetting to tell me at all, she could have recommended an eco-friendly brand that works really well… sharing your ‘insider’ industry knowledge should never be underestimated as a way of building a relationship!!

Lastly, don't push your ideas of what constitutes  'exceeding expectations' onto your clients...I don't require a sexy cleaner... just one that turns up regularly and on time...  (of course there may be some clients who require an attractive cleaner... what would it take to make them happy too??)

What do you think?  Have you experienced service that has exceeded your expectations lately?  Tell us about what was so amazing (or so underwhelming!!)...