The Best Customer Focus

A couple weeks ago, my computer died.  To replace it I bought a new custom-built one from the local computer shop whom I trust.  My last computer had been from that shop, and the techs there have always done excellent work.  I retained my mouse and keyboard from the computer that died and so only brought home the new tower.  As I was hooking up the connections to the new computer, I discovered it had just one pin connection that could be used by either the keyboard or the mouse.  My old computer had had two pin connections, one for the keyboard and one for the mouse. 

“Why didn’t they tell me I needed a USB mouse?” I said out loud in exasperation.  Then I took a deep breath and muttered, “Too bad for them.  They missed a sale.”

I borrowed the USB mouse from my laptop to use immediately and later stopped at a store to buy another USB mouse. 

A few days later, I had the struts replaced on my car.  I did that based upon the garage owner’s recommendation when I had my car in for an oil change.  In addition to doing that work, the owner had checked the vehicle over and let me know of any potential trouble areas.  “Your car looks great,” he had said, “except you need new struts.  I’ll send you a quote on that.”

He promptly followed through and e-mailed the quote later that day.  When I picked the vehicle up, I commented, “Now my car is all set.  I hope that I won’t see you for a while.”

I appreciate the garage owner’s attention to every vehicle.  He fixes what is immediately wrong and looks the vehicle over for potential problems.  I’d rather he found them, let me know, and fixed them before they lead to a break down, further problems, or a more expensive repair that could include a tow.  His focus is looking at the vehicle from the customer’s point of view.  Using his mechanic’s expertise, he anticipates problems. 

The computer techs have a different focus.  They use their technical expertise to look at the customer’s device, give reliable suggestions, and get the customer back to being able to use the device as quickly as possible.  While all of that is commendable, they miss looking at the situation from the customer’s point of view, and that leads to a customer not having the correct mouse or another accessory needed for the use of the device.  It prompts the customer to spend the dollars that could have been extra revenue for the computer shop at another store. 

Whether a service involves a computer, a vehicle, or something else, most customers are ignorant of what they need.  That is why the best customer focus is anticipating problems by looking at the situation from the customer‘s point of view, recognizing potential problems, and helping the customer have the least disruption in use of the product or service.  That focus develops happier customers and adds to the business’s revenue.  

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What best customer focus have you experienced?  E-mail me your answer.

Are Your Customers Getting Attention?

I have been shocked by what I have seen recently at the financial institution that I visit to deposit funds for a nonprofit organization.  The first shocking incident happened at the drive up window a couple weeks ago.  While I was waiting for a teller, I had a clear view of the computer screens of the tellers inside.  I noticed that one of them was on Pinterest.  Really?  I thought.  You are on Pinterest in easy view of your customers? 

I suspect she never thought about customers seeing her screen.  Likely, she only worried about bosses seeing it.

The second incident was more shocking than the first.  When I walked into the building, I noticed one teller helping a customer at the drive-up window.  The other was engaged in a discussion with two people.  As I waited, I heard bits and pieces of their conversation and gathered that the two were instructing the teller regarding a procedure.  During their extensive exchange, not one of them glanced around or looked up to check for customers waiting for a teller.  Even when they finished and the two instructors walked away from the window and saw customers waiting, they did not acknowledge us or apologize for keeping us waiting.

Meanwhile, the teller at the drive-up appeared to be having a personal conversation with that customer.  She, too, did not check for additional customers or have a concern about customers waiting.  Apparently, the place so seldom has customers that these tellers don’t think any might be waiting. 

Or, perhaps the staff’s inattention has chased customers away. 

This inattention shocks me.  I am amazed that employees are not taught to make the customer their sole reason for their job.  Customers ought to take priority over everything else.  Internal instructions should be done in offices, not in front of customers.  A customer should never wait for an employee to be given an instruction.  Likewise, personal conversations or computer browsing should never delay taking care of a customer. 

Everyday I work with businesspeople who are concerned about communicating with customers to get them in the door and spend their money with their businesses.  Incidents such as these make me wonder, Are the customers getting attention once they arrive?

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What example of customer attention have you experienced?  E-mail me your answer.

The Rarity Difference

Saturday American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes and, therefore, the Triple Crown   For the first time in thirty-seven years, a horse has that coveted title.  People packed the stands and cheered American Pharoah as he raced to victory, their voices growing louder with each stride.  What prompted their excitement? 

The fact that no horse had won the Triple Crown in thirty-seven years prompted it.  That span of time made the title a rarity.  It increased its value.  Increased value raised people’s interest.  Everyone likes to be linked with an event that is rare.  Something that is rare has more value than something that is an everyday occurrence. 

I learned that from a client of mine who was antique appraiser.  He said that most people don’t know what is valuable in their homes because they don’t know what is rare.  They are not in the market everyday to have that information.  Consequently, they attach value to items that hold memories for them.  However, those buying the items do not have that attachment.  They judge value by rarity.

The rarity message was reinforced a few years ago when I attempted to sell a large selection of vinyl records left by a friend.  Most items in her collection were mainstream, and, thus, many copies had been run and were in circulation.  The only ones with value were those that had had a few copies printed and, thus, were considered rare.    

Customers apply this attitude to interactions with businesses, too.  They consider a business that focuses on what’s good for customers, goes the extra mile, or does something different a rarity.  This gives the company value in customers’ minds.  The value makes customers want to do more business with the company.  They are less price sensitive because they know their best interests are the company’s focus. 

This value is not added by the business.  The customer perceives it from the actions of the business that are not found elsewhere and in the customer’s best interest.  The rarity of these actions gives them value.   

What is your company doing that your customers don’t receive elsewhere?  How are you focusing on your customer?  How do you go the extra mile for your customers?  What rarity does your company offer?

This week's marketing trivia challenge is  What rarity have you encountered?  E-mail me your answer.

Born of Frustration

Last week I applauded Budweiser for the Lost Dog campaign around their commercial that was rated by a USA Today poll as the top commercial of the 2015 Super Bowl.  Unfortunately for Budweiser, that was not the only commercial the company aired during the event.  Budweiser also spent one million dollars on a sixty second commercial that slammed its competition.

Titled “Made the Hard Way,“ this commercial begins by stating “Budweiser proudly a macro beer.”  Using background music with a hard beat, the commercial continues only with words written in all capital letters over video.  Here are the rest of the words:  “It’s not brewed to be fussed over.  It’s brewed for a crisp, smooth finish.  This is the only beer beechwood-aged since 1876.  There’s only one Budweiser.  It’s brewed for drinking not dissecting.  The people who drink our beer are people who like to drink beer brewed the hard way.  Let them sip their pumpkin peach ale.  We’ll be brewing us some golden suds.  This is the famous Budweiser beer.  This Bud’s for you.”  If you want to see the commercial, go here.  

I completely understand the origin of this commercial.  It comes from the frustration of top management at Budweiser.  While Budweiser and Miller control the beer market, their combined percentage of the market has dropped eight percentage points.  It was seventy-eight percent.  Now it’s seventy percent.  During that same time, craft beer drinking has increased nine percentage points.  This shift is infuriating top management at Budweiser. 

Consequently, management gave marketing the directive to create a hard-hitting ad to tell people that Budweiser is the best, and they better keep drinking it.  After all, Bud has been around since 1876.  It’s made the hard way.  It’s not some fussy beer that needs to be sniffed and sipped like craft beers.  Management wants people instructed to forget the craft beers and go back to drinking more Bud. 

Throughout my career, I have witnessed similar frustrations over competition from management of much smaller companies.  Their reactions usually follow the same pattern as Budweiser’s.  They stress out that people don’t know their company has been around for many years.  They slam their competition and inadvertently those who frequent it.  They tell people to do business with them, not their competition.  In their worry about competition and sliding market share, they focus on what’s in it for them. 

They need to focus on what’s in it for their customer.         

This week's marketing trivia challenge is  What‘s in it for your customer to do business with your company?  E-mail me your answer.

Assessing the Customer’s Point of View

Last Saturday I walked into a restaurant with a friend to celebrate her birthday.  “We’d like a table,” my friend requested.

The host led us to a table in a section with four other tables, two of which were empty and across from this table.  Our assigned table had a wall in back and to one side of it, and the third side was back-to-back with another table.  That table was filled with six adolescent boys who had just finished a hockey game.  Their parents were seated at the table on the other side of them. 

My friend, a retired teacher, noticed that the boys were having a good time, moving their chairs around and generally being typical adolescent boys.  As she pulled out a chair on the side of the table near the wall, she asked, “Are you sure that you want to sit here?”

I had taken note of the boys, too, but had thought that I could handle it.  However, when I tried to pull out a chair on the side of the table which was back-to-back with their table, I bumped into one of their chairs.  Squeezing into the chair, I realized that their jumpy movements were going to disrupt my meal.  “You’re right,” I agreed.  “I’ll ask the waitress to move us.”

Unfortunately for the waitress, her opening line led into my brusque request.  “How are you doing today?” she asked cheerfully.

“Not good,” I gruffly replied.  “Could we have a different table?”

Taken aback, she quickly responded.  “Of course.  Where would you like to go?”

“To one of those tables across from us,” I answered.

After we had moved, I explained to her that I didn’t mind being in the room with the boys, I just didn’t want to deal with their chair movements every few minutes.  “When you have that situation and two other tables available in the room, why seat anyone at a table near a disruption?” I wondered.

“That’s a good point,” she agreed.  “I apologize for your inconvenience.”


I apologized to her for being abrupt.  Later the person who had told the host to seat us at that table stopped by and apologized.  I hope that she learned from the experience. 

In a service business such as a restaurant, employees must keep close tabs on the customer’s experience.  The food is important, of course, but the customer’s comfort is also important.  If a customer is getting bumped and squeezed by someone in the chair behind her throughout the meal, she will not enjoy the food even if it is delicious.  The possibility of this happening can be addressed when the customer is seated.

Those seating customers need to look for more than an open table.  They need to look around the table and be certain that the customer will be comfortable sitting there.  I cited the young boys jumpiness, but many other situations could make the customer uncomfortable.  Employees need to consider the customer and the situation in order to anticipate potential problems.  In this instance, noticing the boys at the next table ought to have triggered a red flag of a potential problem.  Had he noticed this, the host could have directed us to a table across from the boys such as the one at which we ultimately sat. 

To do so, the host needed to focus and think.  He had to focus on the customer and what might make her uncomfortable.  Then he had to take that assessment, look at where he was about to seat the customer, and think through if that location had anything that would lead to the customer’s discomfort.  If it did, the host needed to quickly change the seating location to a place where the customer would be comfortable.  While this process sounds complicated, in reality it takes less time to do than it does me to describe it. 

This focus and thought stems from keeping the customer first and looking at the experience from the customer’s point of view.  Do you and your employees do that with every customer?

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What experience have you had that demonstrated the employee had a customer’s point of view?  E-mail me your answer.

Classic Lack of Customer Focus

Every once in a while, I read or see a report about people asking the question, “Why do hot dogs come in packs of ten and hot dog buns come in packages of eight?”  A couple of days ago, I heard a report on the question again.  For the first time, I heard an answer that makes sense.

Hot dogs come in packs of ten because hot dogs packages are sold by weight, and ten hot dogs are a pound.  Since meat is usually sold by weight, that makes sense.

Buns come in packs of eight because that is how the baking trays are structured.  It is efficient for the baker to make the buns in multiples of eight, which makes sense, too.

Both the hot dog manufacturers and the hot dog bun baking companies follow what is standard for the industry. 

No one thinks of the customers. 

No one cares that the customer has two hot dogs without buns.  If the customer buys two eight packs of buns and two ten packs of hot dogs the problem is compounded to four extra.  If the customer buys one package of hot dogs and two packages of buns, the problem grows to six extra.  The customer has no way to reconcile the discrepancy between the number of hot dogs and the number of buns. 

This is a classic lack of customer focus.  The focus of both the hot dog and the bun industries is internal, continuing to package the way that has always been done.  Neither is paying attention to the customer.

“I’d love to be able to buy the same number of buns and hot dogs,” stated one woman who was interviewed for the report.  “If that were available, I’d buy that brand all the time.”

Isn’t that a missed opportunity?

A company could be the first to offer the same number of buns as hot dogs or hot dogs as buns.  Imagine the immediate first position in customers’ minds of a bun company that sold ten buns or a hot dog company that sold eight hot dogs.  What if two companies did this cooperatively?  A totally new category of “equal hot dogs and buns” would be created.  That company or companies would control the new category.

Evidently, no company has seen the opportunity presented by this situation.  Both hot dogs and hot dog bun companies are maintaining the industry standards and not showing concern about the customer. 

While this is an easy example of internal focus rather than customer focus, more examples exist.  Take a look at your industry and company.  What are you doing which continues an industry norm with an internal focus, not a customer focus?