I have had two occassions in the past few months where I asked local businesses to put me on a "notification list" for something, only to be told both times that they didn't do that, for similar but different reasons.
One was a doctor's office who was waiting for a piece of equipment to be returned from being repaired, which I was to come in and have a test done on. They didn't know when the machine would be returned, but instead of compiling a list of patients due to be notified when the machine was returned (myself included), I was told that I'd have to "keep calling in to see if its back yet." They gave me the excuse that they had far too many patients to worry about in their clinic and wouldn't have time to do such a thing as create, maintain and then call a list of patients waiting for this equipment to return. In addition to the poor customer service experience this gave me, I also wonder if a busy clinic fielding endless "is it back yet?" calls (especially when its still not back yet and at least one more call will be required from that patient) eases or compounds the workload for the staff there compared to keeping a list?
The other was the local theatre who told me that only single tickets remained for the show I wanted to see, but to check back closer to the show date as the promoter sometimes releases tickets they won't need but which have been set aside for them initially. Again, I asked to be put on a list to let me know if that indeed happened. The told me that they couldn't do that since they have "eight people working in this office", inferring that it would be impossible to coordinate a single list when there are eight people dealing with the public at any one time. Lets pretend for a minute that simple and effective database and email programs DIDN'T exist that could solve this problem in one fell swoop. Even if we were stuck back in the 1950's, surely there is a spot on a wall to clip a central clipboard of "contact these people if the promoter releases tickets for show X".
In each case, these businesses placed the onus for contact and follow-up on me as a customer or client, when there is no reason they couldn't have managed that process themselves. And, in each case, it has caused them any potential business I could have given them in these regards, as I haven't and won't undertake a game of phone-call lottery with them.
Are there any processes our practices in your business that unreasonably place responsibilities on your prospects or customers? Is it costing you sales? Are you or your staff using excuses to avoid making simple administrative changes in your business that would eliminate them?
"Defensive driving" for your business
One of the greatest investments my parents made was to send me to Young Drivers of Canada to learn how to drive, and using the techniques their "defensive driving" approach teaches has quite literally allowed me to drive out of and avoid three serious car accidents in my lifetime. Yesterday provided the third.
The roads were a terribly icy mess all over town, and as I sat stopped in the middle of three lanes at a red light, my defensive driving habits kicked in and I checked my rearview mirrors to see what was happening behind me. I saw a car coming up in the lane to my left that was going fast enough that, given the conditions, I was pretty certain he or she wasn't going to be able to stop before the cars ahead in that lane. I worried he might try to ditch to the side and head my way out of instinct. So, I changed lanes and moved over to a vacant spot in the right-hand lane, just as this other car began a 720 degree spin around both the left (his) and the middle (previously, my) lanes.
Had I not been watching what was happening around me, in conjunction with an awareness of the general conditions all around, I would have had the side of my car smucked, and my day drastically altered for the worse. In "Trucker Management", we talk about having "rearview mirrors" in your business to always see what's gaining on you - namely, your competition. But in general, much of the ideas of Trucker Management at their core are simply about awareness - paying attention to your surroundings, whether its your competition, your physical space, your staff, your finances - whatever. The basic principles of defensive driving are much the same - simply being aware of all that is happening, and may happen, around you, so that you can proactively take steps to protect yourself, regardless of the actions of others.
Have you been "driving" your business defensively lately, always aware of the conditions and actions of others around you? Are conditions (ie. the economy) changing? How are others around you behaving in these conditions (ie. drastic price-cuts or blow-out sales by your competition to aid their cash crunch)? Do you need to "change lanes" to avoid a costly and inconvenient impact?
The roads were a terribly icy mess all over town, and as I sat stopped in the middle of three lanes at a red light, my defensive driving habits kicked in and I checked my rearview mirrors to see what was happening behind me. I saw a car coming up in the lane to my left that was going fast enough that, given the conditions, I was pretty certain he or she wasn't going to be able to stop before the cars ahead in that lane. I worried he might try to ditch to the side and head my way out of instinct. So, I changed lanes and moved over to a vacant spot in the right-hand lane, just as this other car began a 720 degree spin around both the left (his) and the middle (previously, my) lanes.
Had I not been watching what was happening around me, in conjunction with an awareness of the general conditions all around, I would have had the side of my car smucked, and my day drastically altered for the worse. In "Trucker Management", we talk about having "rearview mirrors" in your business to always see what's gaining on you - namely, your competition. But in general, much of the ideas of Trucker Management at their core are simply about awareness - paying attention to your surroundings, whether its your competition, your physical space, your staff, your finances - whatever. The basic principles of defensive driving are much the same - simply being aware of all that is happening, and may happen, around you, so that you can proactively take steps to protect yourself, regardless of the actions of others.
Have you been "driving" your business defensively lately, always aware of the conditions and actions of others around you? Are conditions (ie. the economy) changing? How are others around you behaving in these conditions (ie. drastic price-cuts or blow-out sales by your competition to aid their cash crunch)? Do you need to "change lanes" to avoid a costly and inconvenient impact?
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