Tweet

Are You Really Adding Customer Value?

Guest post by: Meridith Elliott Powell

Article Overview: Today it takes focus, stamina and serious understanding of customer value if you want to succeed, get ahead and genuinely enjoy running your business and taking care of your clients. Value means so much more than it used to. Consumers are better educated, more demanding and in complete control of the buying cycle. But with a little attention to detail and simply staying focused on the customer, you can do the things you need to do to make your clients say wow and stay far ahead of your competition.

Are You Really Adding Customer Value?

The experts are telling us that in today's economic environment, if you want to keep and build your customer base you need to add value. So what does that mean add value? Really, wouldn't you say if people want your product or service and you deliver it isn't that adding value?

Well not exactly, in today's environment what the experts really mean is that you need to add more value than your competitors. You need to consistently do things that make your customers stand back and say wow. Do things that make them emotionally connect to your company, and do things that make them realize (without you telling them) that you are different from your competitors.

This is more art than science. To add "more value" than your competitors, you really need to be more gray than black and white. Looking for the little things, the little ways and the little connections you can make to really make your customers happy.

Here is a great example of a missed opportunity. Last week, I received a letter from the attorney my husband and I use for our legal services. The letter was asking us to contact their office to set up an appointment if we had any questions or concerns about our account. The letter also asked that if we preferred to be contacted by email to simply call the office.

Well, that sounds like a pretty good letter right? I mean they were proactively reaching out to their customer base. In addition, they also let us know that if we would prefer to communicate in email all we have to do is let them know. Well, why they technically did everything right, they missed the opportunity to add value.

Here is the rest of the story. My husband and I have been clients there for three years, and always communicate through email. I make it clear right from the start, with any of our vendors, that the best way to communicate with us is through email or via cell phone. (Plus, to really add value for your clients, asking how they want to communicate is one of the first questions you should ask.)

In addition, I emailed the office to schedule our appointment asking for a Friday about three to four weeks out. The response I received, was that our attorney was not available on that date, and I was given some Tuesday and Thursday mornings she had time to meet with us. Now again, my husband and I have been clients for three years, and each time we schedule appointments I have to remind them that my husband sees patients all day Monday through Thursday and can only meet after hours or on Fridays.

Lastly, the email closed by letting me know to contact the office as soon as possible if I wanted to secure one of my attorney's available dates, as she is very busy and could not guarantee the availability of those dates.

I trust that my attorney, by sending this letter, wanted to us to feel valued and engaged as customers. But, at the close of this letter I felt more emotionally disconnected than I had before I received it. Why? It is clear to me they do not really listen to what I say. The very fact that I got a letter asking me if I would prefer to communicate in email, after I have already told them I do. The very fact that I have shared my husband's schedule with them over and over, yet they still try to schedule me on Tuesday and Thursday, and lastly the reference to how busy my attorney's schedule is made it sound as if they are doing me a favor in setting this appointment. I mean I am paying for it, shouldn't accommodating my schedule be more important?

Again, in this economy competition if fierce, the consumer is far more selective, and the available cash to spend on services is limited. Do yourself, your business, and most importantly your customer a favor, and listen to them, acknowledge their needs, respect their time, and remember the details and unique aspects of your relationship with them. Your return on investment will be well worth your time.

Related Articles
  10 Points to Add to Your Success in Business
  Creating the right ‘Value Perception’ for your Customers
  The Sales Presentation
  Your Service Pricing: Get Ready For the Recovery
  QuickBooks 2011: New On-Screen History Feature
  Sales and Service: 7 Steps for Positive Customer Interaction
  In front of the customer - selling face-to-face
  Business Friendships
  To Romance or Not To Romance
  Make Money Online With An Internet Home Business Blog
  Ways to Improve Your Landing Page Conversions
  Home Business Expert: How To Advertise In Print Media
  Filling the Sales Pipeline Whos to Blame
  Dealer Incentive Programs
  Business Coach Explains To You How To Add Value
  Who can become a SSL partner?
  How Beneficial is a Customer Support System to Your Online Home Based Business?
  The Emotional Foundation of Customer Service
  Sales Training Closing the Sale
  Solution Sales - What is it?

Article Tags: attention to detail, complete control, consumers, creating a customer centric culture, customer service to drive profit, customer value, stamina



Related Forum Posts
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Re: Paypal process $315 million in payments per day. - I agree with you David, their Customer relations suck. This mean other payment systems like 2CO and WORLDPAY should work on their customers relations to take more slice of the market.
Re: Do blog comments help or hurt your site? - I think if you moderate them closely (as you should) and don't let any spam through, then I think they are helpful. The problem is a lot of people get lazy and auto-approve their comments. That is a very bad idea because a TON of spam comments will get blasted to your site and I can definitely see how that would hurt your site. Adding two or three good spam blockers and moderating the remaining comments manually yourself will pretty much guarantee that you only have quality comments on your posts.
Re: Welcome to Entrepreneur University! - Hi Evan and GT, Can you clarify? If you join the "Preferred Customer" you are not entitled to commission? Why? This is the the $79.95/month account, I don't understand why you are not getting commission from it?
Re: A great Women's Industry - Actually as far as "women" industries are concerned, I've noticed more specialty niches popping up for products for new mom's etc. There's a woman on Twitter who even specializes in product for aunties. Now that more baby products are popping up to help new moms - wrking moms etc - I see that as a women's industry that women can REALLY own. Adding a blog for new moms will never get old. Babies are born every day and we all know - it's easy to get pregnant (for most) but what to do when the baby comes?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Strong Leadership Formula

Rumor Has It

Having It All... With No Sleep

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.