What would happen if your company tackled every issue as an opportunity to make an improvement. In other words, the issue is a megaphone screaming out to you to make a change. Imagine how healthy our businesses would be, and how happy our customers would be, if we just recognized issues as opportunities to make a positive change? Problems are clues. Clues require investigation. Open-minded investigations can lead to eye-opening revelations about what is making a customer mad. Usually these deep-dives reveal numerous examples of the problematic occurrence. Permanently fixing repetitive problems will necessarily improve the health of your company.

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I saw a commercial on television for the pain management center in my area. They were proud of their 10 years of service to the community, and they put a nice advertisement out to encourage people to use their services. It got me thinking; Do many companies attempt to mitigate, or eradicate customer pain points? Imagine what our businesses would look like if we just focused on the top three customer pain points, and then we actually eradicated them. It’s another way of promoting continuous improvement. If you’ve never engaged in anything like this, maybe it’s time to start doing it now?

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The “Experience Economy” is large and in charge in today’s business world. Often times if is the “HOW” we provide services that override the “WHAT” we provide. It sounds inverted, but it is reality in many cases. Customer perceptions are now heavily leaning into the “HOW” we do business . Good perceptions provide our sails with some needed wind at our backs, while negative perceptions leave our boats at a standstill. To compete in today’s business world, we must address that “HOW” factor with as much fervor as we do the “WHAT”. The good news is that unhealthy service reveals itself in patterns that are repeated with regularity. This makes unhealthy service easy to find if we are looking. Maybe it’s time to become a pattern detective within your own company?

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Customers place high value on vendors that display reliability and consistency. If so, then why do so many companies deliver service when, and how it is convenient for them. We address this in out book. Service When It Is Convenient For Us (SWIICFU) is far too common in today’s business world. It is a company-centric model versus what should be a customer-centric model. What say you? Is it time to shed your SWIICFU mindset in exchange for a model that better serves customers?

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Customer issues often repeat themselves, and carry the same characteristics time over time. Knowing this, does your company address the deeper problem of why issues are repetitive and reoccurring, or do you just try and fix the current issue without a deep dive? Imagine what your business would look like if you took aim at never having the same problem happen a second time? Maybe it’s time to set up issue resolution protocols that fix the deeper problems causing customer dissatisfaction?

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Expectations are a grossly overlooked aspect of modern business. Some companies never address expectations for customers, while many companies set few expectations. As a result, these types of businesses can easily go about servicing customers when, and how it is convenient for the business. However, best-in-class companies actually publish expectations, and then take aim at providing service that exceeds those stated expectations. This mindset will surprise customers, satisfy them, and pave the road ahead for healthy repeat and referral transaction rates. Maybe it’s time to start aiming at this classic best-on-class service mindset?

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Search is the optimal word. Customers will very rarely tell you that they are leaving, and why they are leaving. You have to go find the information, filter it, investigate, and then fix it. The cost to reinvent a lost customer is far too expensive to do on a routine basis. The road to customer loyalty is paved by not making the same mistake twice. Your future is an four R (RRRR) proposition. Retain. Repeat. Refer. Reap.

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It sounds like a funny question right? The truth is, many companies try to pass self-inflicted repair costs onto customers. This video highlights one of the many times I’ve seen it play out in real life with customers. If you want to win customers to your cause, and grow your repeat and referral business, then we suggest you pay the bill for repairing mistakes you have made. Charging the customers, and hiding the repair cost in some other line item, will only lose you positive reviews, and cripple the health of your future business.

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