Merry Christmas and Happy 2012

by liz on December 23, 2011

Thank you for all your support during 2011

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Compelling Customer Propositions

by liz on August 2, 2011

Our business is as strong as the customer base we have.

•Our customer base is as strong as the proposition we offer!

Just close your eyes and think of a company you would do anything to go back to. Take a moment to consider the reasons why. Note them down, they are a good guide for you as to what is an outstanding customer proposition.

The thing is, that more often than not, the examples we think of are not extremely different or luxurious. They are often the companies that do the right thing, the thing customers really want (or didn’t really know they wanted until it was delivered). Companies that responded well in a difficult situation or delivered something special at a difficult time.

These experiences are also relevant to businesses. Often when we think of outstanding propositions, we consider them as consumers. For a business there are many more factors to put in place to stand out. More people = more complexity.

We have set out in a short series 10 challenges for extremely compelling propositions, and have told the story with a few video examples of companies that are often mentioned when discussing compelling customer propositions.

The first is Knowledgable

First things first, for a compelling proposition, you have to really know about your market, your customers and your competitors to truly understand the difference you can make. Those companies with truly compelling propositions may not be hugely different in the product they deliver but may deliver it very differently.

First Direct is a UK based bank that changed the approach to banking and perception of the banking proposition for customers.

The video shows how they focus on understanding their customers and challenges in the marketplace, and openly share this. They continue to evolve their approach in order to set themselves apart from the rest and serve their customers well.

Watch this space for the second challenge..

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When Service Really Matters

May 27, 2011

If we are asked which companies we think deliver great service, I know a few of the names that might come up. We usually think of those organisations offering fantastic experience at a time of enjoyment, or service related to a purchase we really want.
There are times in our lives when service really matters. When [...]

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The Unsung Service Hero..

May 26, 2011

I have often spent time listening to calls and working with the people who deal with customers on a regular basis. I have found the “unsung” service hero or heroes in every organisation. You know the ones.. they

Go the extra mile to make things right for customers
Always seem to smile even though the pile of [...]

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Customer Service for Charities

May 25, 2011

Why did I buy that?
How often have we signed on the dotted line for something, however minor or major, and wondered whether we have bought the right thing?  That sinking feeling is snappily referred to as post purchase dissonance in marketing circles and post sales service is often heavily geared towards helping the consumer through [...]

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What is customer service?

May 23, 2011

Having worked in customer management for many years, it is quite astounding to me how many companies have still not answered this question.
If I ask people to think hard about the companies that deliver excellent or even good service, it is often quite a challenge. Often the same names or brands come to the fore:
M&S, [...]

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Key Accounts and Customers – We love you!

March 9, 2011

80/20 or more like 90/10?
All businesses, large or small, offering a service or a product, have a fairly small percentage of customers driving a major part of their profits at any given time. Win one of these and your life is rosy, Lose one and your base begins to wither.
Important then to:

Know who they [...]

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Recognising and rewarding business customers

March 3, 2011

It is human nature to want to know you are doing well, doing something good, that someone recognises you for who you are isn’t it?

It is fairly easy to deduce that your customers will respond much better to you if you remind them from time to time that they have done a great thing [...]

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When experts are your customers

February 17, 2011

How do you get it right when you have a mix of customers who are  both experts and beginners?
I was reminded of the challenge again when I visited the RAF Museum at Hendon recently. It is, in my opinion, one of the finest aviation museums in the world. A little background:
I have been interested in [...]

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Happy or Satisfied? What are you aiming for?

February 16, 2011

In a recent debate with local business owners at the Horsley Business Network we agreed that keeping customers satisfied was not really something to aim for!
We are all fairly satisfied with a number of companies that we have bought things from or worked with in the past. It hasn’t really driven us to buy again. [...]

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