Ring in the New Year with Timely Business Resolutions
By Kevin F. Clune, CLP
With the start of the New Year, many of us typically make resolutions for personal self improvement. Businesses are also strategizing and implementing the “resolutions” they feel will help them improve and become more profitable.
With the end of the Christmas Holiday Season, also described by some as the Consumer Season, it may be an opportune time to analyze our many recent consumer experiences and ask what qualities epitomize a good or even great experience? The results of this exercise may provide some excellent business resolutions for the New Year.
It has become a tradition for the Clune extended family, which has grown to 35 people ranging in age from 3 months to 85 years of age, to reserve tables at the same locally owned Pizza Restaurant for the annual Christmas Holiday Kick-off Party. We occupied 3 large tables for about 3 hours and for most of the time, the majority of us were up and milling about among the other tables. You can only imagine the challenge we posed for the employees to take orders, deliver the proper food to the proper location, and avoid all the obstacles in their pathway. I am happy to report that our experience exceeded our expectations; every staff member was gracious and our orders were filled correctly and delivered promptly. Their attitude of “service with a smile” was one to admire and emulate.
With the internet age, we have all become accustomed to online shopping. When trying to order multiple items from some sites, I discovered that I was unable to direct some of the items to different addresses. I needed to enter each order separately and this would be tedious. When I discovered a source that sold similar products but gave me this option, I chose to purchase my items from them. I realized that the ease of doing business has an impact on a consumer’s decision.
However, the key word in this example is “similar”. For the past 10 years, I have always ordered a unique meat product from the same smokehouse. If your product is desirable and exceeds the competition, customers will still decide to purchase from you.
Clune & Company's New Year’s Resolutions will include the lessons learned in these experiences. We will apply these business rules to the Lease Finance products and services we provide.
- Be courteous, responsive, & flexible with all customers, regardless of the complexity of the application and investment of your time.
- Analyze your service from your customer’s perspective. Implement changes as necessary to remain competitive with existing customers and acquire new customers.
- Offer unique products that are unavailable from other sources, and promote them in the marketplace.
We wish you much success in 2012 and if you allow our company to be of service to you, we will strive to ensure you will have a great consumer experience.
Kevin F. Clune, CLP
Clune & Company
