We all think we know what our customers want and expect. Of course, they want quality products and services, an attractive environment and responsive service—an overall satisfying shopping experience.
But if you’re not having an ongoing conversation with your customers, gathering industry data and monitoring competitors, you run the risk of not zeroing in what’s most important to customers—or missing the boat entirely.
A textbook example comes to mind from some years ago when fast food restaurants were busy sprucing up their restaurants, expanding their menu items and out-lowballing each other on value menus. Efforts to understand, attract and please customers in this highly competitive sector were intense! And then came some research that essentially dropped a bomb on the industry. Number one in importance to fast food customers: Clean restrooms! Who’da thought?! And yet, when the information was published, everyone nodded in recognition: Who hadn’t been totally repulsed by the dismal state of a restaurant’s restrooms? It tended to trump the food, the prices and even the friendliest workers. It was clouding customers’ entire experience.
The point is that you may “know” what your customers want and expect—but do you really know? It means that you’ve got to keep asking the questions and incorporating the information you get back into your thinking. And one way to keep your thinking fresh is staying on top of what others are thinking and doing.
For starters, Inc.com contributor Geoffrey James discusses 10 things every customer wants, according to research from The Rain Group. Surprisingly, he says, getting the best price and best value are at the bottom of the list, not the top as you might think. Here’s the list:
- New perspectives and ideas. Understanding customers’ problems and bringing new solutions to the table.
- Collaboration. Work with customers. Be integral to their success.
- Confidence. Only if you believe can you persuade others.
- Listening. Really listen—and remember, it’s about them, not you.
- Understanding ALL their needs. Your understanding needs to be total, beyond what connects just to your own products or services.
- Helping. Customers want you to help in their decision-making by identifying potential risks and taking steps to avoid them if possible.
- Compelling solutions. This has become an expectation, the price of entry.
- Spelling out all the details. Don’t dance around discounts, options, etc. Use plain and simple language—and no surprises!
- Personal connection. Even when you’re dealing with thousands of customers, your brand can make this kind of connection.
- Superior value. Price and value are important, just not the most important. How do yours compare? Can you still convince buyers that they should buy from you, regardless?
The upshot is this: Keep exploring, keep asking questions in every way you can think of. Find new ways of looking at every aspect of your business, even if you’ve considered it many times before! Bring your employees into the process: Fresh eyes on any problem bring fresh ideas and perspectives. And that means staying a step or two ahead of what your customers want and expect.
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