Customercentric Behavior In A Time Of Bottomline Focus

You can hardly go anywhere without hearing the latest gloom and doom about the economy. I'm not denying the problems.  I'm just wondering why some companies are focusing on the bottom line only and not the customer.

I went shopping yesterday for a wedding gift for some friends. I entered a store I usually shop and couldn't find a sales person.

I almost felt like calling out, "Anyone here?" but I resisted.

Is A Customer An Interruption In Your Business?

Finally someone came out from one of the store rooms and I stopped him to ask some questions. The man acted as if I had interrupted him from a very important task. He answered my questions in a very perfunctory way.

Then I heard a voice from the back, "Joe, you're supposed to being doing inventory. What are you doing?"

Joe looked at me and went back into the back.  I put down what I was going to buy and left the store.

Now I do know inventory counting is important, but isn't moving the inventory important as well?

What Can You Learn From Trader Joe's?

I was reading a story on Trader Joe's opening in NYC. The store has been mobbed since it opened. One retail consultant, Doron Levy of Captus Business Consulting described it this way.

It's all about service and selection at Trader Joe's. … I always get blown away by the enthusiasm of staff.  Observing some of the staff, you can see that they really take ownership in their store… Product knowledge and customer service is always excellent….Trader Joe's has built its success through word of mouth marketing.

Why haven't other retailers caught on? Some retailers have lost customer focus and have put more priority on operational objectives. There must be a balance which TJ's seems to have achieved. Without customers, we would all be out of a job!

In any economy you need to focus on what your customers want and will buy. That is even more evident when consumers are hearing gloom and doom. But with a bottom line focus those of us running our businesses need to remember the customer who comes in our doors needs to be part of our focus. Unless you have that focus there's no  healthy or profitable bottom line.

Using online promotion and marketing offers a cost effective way to reach your customers and let them know you are there. But the important part is to recognize each and every contact you have with your customer contributes to the bottom line. Focus is important, but check carefully to see where you and your business are focused. Doron Levy

It’s all about using Word of Mouse to promote your message,

Alysan

Thanks to Doron Levy, President, Captus Business Consulting , RetailWire for the heads up
Photo/Graphic Mash up courtesy of A. Kratzenberg, Stephen Stacey and Przemyslaw Szczepanski