The number one challenge facing today’s “choice-rich, time-poor” consumer is sameness. Whether it be a cup of coffee, pair of jeans, laptop computer, Chinese meal, a kilo of sausages, new car, bank, airline, law firm or mutual fund, every competing product or service available to consumers essentially looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels the same. […]
Numerous business studies over many years report that customers tell far more people about bad customer experiences than they do good ones. Those studies vary between telling ten to thirty people about bad experiences, versus sharing only two to five happy stories of customer delight. Whatever the actual numbers are is moot; what is undeniable […]
Q: How many hairdressers do you drive past to get your haircut? How many travel agents do you pass by to pick up your travel documents? And how many accountancy and law firms are there between you and your preferred accountant and lawyer? A: Most often, at least one or two. Sometimes, many more. Q: […]
Running out of petrol is something most of us have experienced at least once in our lives. Quite frankly it’s a major pain in the proverbial. It creates unnecessary stress, causes us to run late, upsets others’ timetables, and often involves seeking the assistance of otherwise busy colleagues. All in all a drama we could […]
Once upon a time, business was simple in that all transactions were in cash. Someone then complicated matters by introducing cheques as a form of payment, followed by credit cards, EFTPOS, and now various methods of online banking and Internet transactions. Business today needs to provide a range of payment options for customers. Some time […]
One of the most important keys to business success in today’s marketplace is being open for business at a time when your customers wish to do business with you, and not simply when you wish to do business with your customers. Many retailers open their doors from 9am through 5pm, yet many do little or […]
Most people are aware of the disruption currently playing out in the Taxi industry with the arrival in Australia of ride-sharing company Uber, and other variants such as BackSeat and CarNextDoor, armed with their new technology enabled business models. Similar disruptions are happening in the accommodation space with Airbnb offering an alternative to traditional hotel […]
kevinbranded / Foter / CC BY-NC It is no coincidence that that successful businesses have many things in common. Whether it is General Electric or Starbucks or thousands of other successful businesses around the globe, one such commonality is their discipline in taking time out to work on their business … EVERY 90 days! Many […]
“All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.” – Mark McCormack. Business today is all about relationships. It’s a bold claim, yet when quizzed, most people reveal how they much prefer to do business with someone they know, like and […]
Q. What is the greatest predictor of business success? A. Customer Experience – how your customers perceive their interactions with your business. It’s a bold claim, yet one that is supported by decades of empirical evidence gleaned from innumerable research studies by the worlds leading academic institutions and management consultancies. In their dealings with your […]