Guest Blog: Do You Focus on Fluff or the Things Your Customers Care About?

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Steve DiGioia talks about providing your customers with the experience they want. It is important to take advantage of the opportunities available to make a statement for your customers. – Shep Hyken

I thought my new sweater was “the cat’s meow”, ‘da bomb. Look at me all!

I was struttin’ my stuff as I walked to school. High school was finally cool. I was cool.

Well, not really. I was never the cool kid, mostly a band geek. But I played a mean saxophone, really, I did! Even did it full time for a living in the early 80’s. Anyway, that’s another story…

What makes a business cool?

So much time is spent on developing your product, with countless hours racking your brain for ideas. Whether it’s a new twist on an existing item or a revolutionary design that will change the marketplace, there is so much to do.

There are meetings with your engineers, stylists and those in charge of marketing your new creation. Oh, let’s not forget the lawyers…

All with one goal in mind, to make your product or service the best it can be and the “coolest” product on the market. They will be knocking down your door to get it.

So, I’ll say it again, what makes a business cool?

Is it the décor, or the trendy clothes? Is it the neighborhood or the product’s packaging?

Is it the chi-chi designer names inside, or the landscaping that flank the front door?

Does it even matter?

What do today’s customers want? Do we really know?

So much time is spent on “business fluff,” yes the fluff that has little to do with the actual product or service the business is providing, that you forget why most customers continue to do business with you.

It’s the service you provide and its perceived value that makes them return.

Sure, keeping your doors open with a poor performing product is an uphill battle, but good products wrapped in an environment of poor service will soon become a thing of the past.

A business succeeds when it provides the product or service someone is willing to pay for time and time again. What do your customers want? Give it to them. You don’t really know what they want? You’ve got a problem my friend.

• Have you designed your store in the color combinations or materials that YOU like or those that are more conducive to make your customers buy?
• Do you play heavy metal music in a perfume shop?
• Do you still have dusty celebrity photos adorning your walls or the latest movie poster taped to the glass window pane?

Why? Is this yesterday’s fad, or today’s? Who cares?

Nothing matters more than providing the positive atmosphere that will get your customers to buy. Purchase, display and promote the products people want to buy.

Keep them coming back because they like what you sell, can’t find it anywhere else, and because you provide the customer experience they long for.

The Pet Rock days are behind us. Get with the program…

Steve DiGioia is a 25+ year hospitality veteran who has developed high performance service teams through increased leadership engagement, attention to detail and anticipating the customer’s needs. His customer-centric writings can be found on his blog.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:

Blast Through Your Limitations: Think Big, Act Bigger