Are your systems stopping your customers?
How often do you take a look at the journey a potential customer makes to do business with you?
If the answer is never, then I’d like to suggest you take a look – and quickly!
Let me give you an example…
I found a company online that provided something I wanted for a client. It was after 5.30pm, so I used their “Click here for a quick quotation” link. “Fantastic” I thought – the quote will come first thing in the morning and I can get that ticked off the list.
Wrong! I did get an email before 9am the next day, but wanting to know my company name, address and phone number. When I replied I got another email asking me if I was to be invoiced or the client.
When I replied saying it didn’t matter, but it was urgent – I didn’t hear anything back.
Eventually at 1.30pm I called – only to be told he was busy, and there were people away today. When I asked why it couldn’t have been done first thing this morning, I was told I couldn’t be set up on “the system” until these details had been added.
And therein lies the problem…
They are making it far too difficult for someone to become a customer:
If they need that level of detail it should have been included in the website form on the link
Getting a quote shouldn’t be that difficult
They set expectations by saying “quick quotation”
What can you learn from this?
If there are any links or buttons on your website that suggest you can provide a quick price, or offer speedy delivery – is this really true? If not, don’t say you can offer it
How many questions do you really need to ask a potential customer before giving a price? Clearly, for a product sale, less detail is usually required, than for a service based business
How well trained are your team? Do they have the skills and ability to respond efficiently when someone calls and is clearly disappointed?
Are you guilty of over promising and under delivering? Far better to reverse that – then you are left with a delighted person far more likely to become a customer…
So, check out your customer journey, and make sure it is the best it can be.
