Who's your Customer?
Lansdowne Place marketing director Helen Edwards wanted to put a QR code on her shopping center’s gift card. Scanning the code would launch the gift card balance inquiry website.
When I first received this request, I thought; wait a minute … someone’s going to use their PHONE to take a picture of their gift card to get their balance instead of using their PHONE to call the balance inquiry phone number? Seemed crazy to me at first, but I realized there is something to be said about serving your customer in the way they want to be served. Helen recognized the importance of this customer-focus and we could all benefit from doing the same.
I’m not just talking about paying customers. In my daily life, my customers include:
- Shareholders of the company I work for
- Salespeople out working hard to bring us more business
- Software developers writing code to deliver our products and services
- Professional service team members implementing and supporting those products and services
- My boss
- My employees
- My husband
- My kids
All of these people are my customers – they need something from me every day. If I were to try to treat them all the same, I wouldn’t have very many customers! Imagine trying to get my husband to “log a request in my issue-tracking system” or telling my boss “I can’t hear you when you don’t use the magic word” (BTW - that’s “please”).
It seems like a pretty basic, common-sense approach; serve your customers in the way they want. Do you know what your customers want? (I guarantee you, they don’t want any ridiculous telephone menu) Is it within your power to give it to them? (World peace and calorie-free cheesecake are NOT within your power). So what’s stopping you? Follow Helen Edwards’ lead and see where it takes you!
Special thanks to Helen Edwards for her leadership and for letting me use her excellent example.
http://www.lansdowneplace.com/gift-cardsAuthor: Tricia Chitwood
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