Jaime Polo's Blog

(Para leer este artículo en español, pulse aquí.)

There are some situations in which it’s really easy to create a disappointed client, specially in front-line jobs. But it’s not usually employee’s fault, we have to blame the manager.

It is very important to design a customer service department from the customers’ point of view, not from employee’s most suitable job performance point of view.

Sometimes, employees have to deal with long queues, if a good customer service hasn’t been implemented, then they tend to optimize their jobs in order to become more productive. As it happened to me, the employee could serve 10 coffees at the same time but the queue didn’t disappear, it turned from waiting for ordering to waiting for receiving the order. Customers got angry and the problem was still there.

(Para leer este artículo en español, pulse aquí.)

Focusing on business, making promises and keeping them is a difficult relationship because as more promises you make, the harder it is to keep them.

This becomes specially difficult in the market. In order to attract customers, you have to make promises and create expectations. If your promises are below competitors’, your potential customers will go to them. On the other hand, if your promises are over competitors’ but you cannot make them real, your customers will be disappointed and no longer will buy from you.

As a marketer, you have to create a balance between the promises made and the ones you can perform. It is much better that your customers get a “wow” with previous low expectations than it is to simply accomplish expectations. Perhaps, it is better to have less customers but more loyal.

(Para leer este artículo en español, pulse aquí.)

This statement must be applied to all facets of business and life.

If you, as a business or person, break your promises down, you will lose trust from friends, customers, employees or followers.

Many people don’t think in subconscious consequences of this act, specially with friends and employees. The persistent act of failing to keeping promises creates a deep wound in friends’ feelings. If you maintain this behavior, sales will go down, friends will not trust you anymore, and employees will be angry.

Last friday, I visited two different banks. My purpose was to find a suitable bank account with no banking fees. The first one I visited had a product perfect for small businesses. The second one, though, didn’t.

It’s easy, if the situation is tough, you’re not going to get more clients and revenue if you don’t adapt your products to the demand. I wasn’t asking for a all-free-services, but, at least, I was looking for my basic movements to not being charged.

That’s why it is very important to analyse your customers and the market, because not doing it will make you lose money. Moreover, you have to find out what your clients value. For instance, a bank account with no maintenance fees and no fees for the first credit card are really good characteristics of a bank product in a tough economy.