January 2009 Newsletter
Plan to Fail; Top Chef; Zappos
Various observations for this month, kind of like a buffet…
Plan to Fail
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Trite? Maybe. But most of you have a budget for your money, and very few of you have a budget for your time.
Tell me if this sounds familiar: I was planning to get out and do some marketing this week, but…
- My manager called in sick.
- I had to put away the Sysco order.
- Things were crazy early in the week, and then I had payroll, ordering, scheduling, etc.
Also tell me how often this happens. Every week? You’re not alone.
You will never find the time to market your store. Until you think it is every bit as important as doing the schedule, making payroll, and ordering food (because it is) you will never see the results of a sustained marketing program. The bright side is that the silver bullet you seek is probably out there. Somewhere.
Schedule your time to market. One day, one hour: make calls, print coupons, arrange meetings, sort your fishbowl cards – get organized for whatever your tactics are that week.
The second day: plan 2 hours, turn off your phone, schedule dependable people, don’t get sidetracked. Treat each time out like it’s a catering appointment. Consider this a meeting with yourself, and show up on time and prepared.
Top Chef
It’s a guilty pleasure in my house, but last week’s episode was right on. Every season holds a “Restaurant Wars” episode where the contestants create a concept, design a menu, and serve to “customers” and not just the judges. Last week, one group served raw fish, mediocre lamb, and, by all accounts, awesome desserts. Their front of the house service, however, was impeccable.
The other group had good food (lousy desserts) and a greeter who was courteous, but not WOW.
Guess which group won? The one that served raw fish (for heaven’s sakes!), but handled the complaints in person, provided a warm greeting, and thanked the guests for coming.
Great service, knowing the owner, makes the food taste better.
BTW – the person who ran the front of the house got sent home, not the person who served crappy desserts. The judges thought the service was more important.
Zappos
Online shoe company Zappos offers free shipping and free return shipping when purchasing shoes. Customer service reps are trained to encourage customers to order more than one size and color – after all, return shipping is free.
They have been known to send complete replacements to customers whose shoes stopped being water-proof after a year even though they are only required to take shoes back if they have never been worn.
“But aren’t they afraid people will take advantage?!”
Apparently not. Apparently, the actual number of customers who “take advantage” of liberal policies is pretty low. Apparently they have created such a buzz that advertising is not necessary. Apparently they have struck a chord with consumers. The company entered Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Places to Work at number 24 (the highest ever).
What do their bean counters think of giving away free shoes to a dissatisfied customer (and offering free shipping both ways)? They love it. 75% of Zappos business is repeat customers.
What have you done to WOW a customer today? How about this week? If word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, what is your advertising plan for generating word of mouth?
If you think it will just happen, you’re wrong. Customers are 7 times less likely to praise than to complain. Truly WOWed customers, however, don’t need prodding. They’ll sing your praises to anyone who will listen.
Ask questions, discuss tactics, get advice, and refine your plan at CommonMan Group.
