National
Clothesline
Do you have what customers want?
Americans are very particular about their
individual tastes. After all, how else can you explain the fact
that the immensely-popular chain, Starbucks, offers more than
19,000 ways it can serve a cup of coffee? Foam or no foam?
Whole, non-fat, half & half, organic or soy milk? What
size? What flavor(s)? The possibilities seem endless, and yet,
when faced with an overwhelming amount of choices, consumers
still come in droves for their morning java jump start.
Business owners often face a paradox of
choice. If they offer customers too many options, there is a
chance they can alienate them. Too many choices can lead to
indecision. Yet, now more than ever, consumers want the ability
to make choices that reflect their personalities. The solution?
Give customers what they want, but try to keep it simple. In
his article this month, John Graham discusses Apple’s iPod brand and how it serves as a
perfect example of a successful business model. He writes:
“With the iPod, Apple introduced a product that allows
customers to define how the product is used.”
For consumers, that usage means having
the power at their fingertips to hear any song they want at any
time they feel like it. In this instance, a massive
proliferation of choice doesn’t matter since consumers
know exactly what songs they want to enjoy. Making it easier to
obtain those songs, Apple offers downloadable songs for their
iPods at only 99 cents from iTunes. The music service has more
than 3 million songs to choose from. It also offers over 3,000
music videos, more than 16,000 audiobooks, and hundreds of
television shows so consumers can take care of several of their
downloadable pop culture needs at one location. By the way,
one-stop shopping is a smart and convenient marketing concept
which Bill
Bishop discusses at
greater length this month. Again, such convenience caters to
customer empowerment.
The bottom line is that there are no
“average” customers anymore. Everybody has
different needs and preferences. All businesses, even
drycleaners, have to adapt if they want to maintain loyalty
from their customer base. The best way to do that is to inform
your customers that you can process and clean their garment any
way they want (um, provided you actually can). Think of it as
iCleaning. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean you
should inundate them with dozens of questions at the front
counter. Instead, simply convey the message that they have as
many options as they need and you will get the job done.
Ultimately, that will make your customers feel more important
and freely in control to express their own unique personality.
For the many who have left us
The obituaries of key industry people in
National Clothesline have been all too frequent in recent
issues. This year alone we have reported on the passings of
Alan Robson, Oscar Victor, Stan Caplan, Arsen Kashkashian,
Albert Pariser, Dan Baker, Carl Gardner, Dennis Weber, Sylvia
Fleishman and Lester Maslow.
This month we sadly report on the deaths
of Rex Carrigan, Roger Schilling and Karen Leyh.
All of these losses have been felt
deeply, not only by their families but also by their colleagues
and the many people in the industry they helped over the years.
While we were not personally acquainted with Karen Leyh,
it’s evident from the testimonial of the people she
worked for over the years, Vic Manufacturing and PROS, that she
was a well-loved co-worker as well as a competent and capable
employee who bailed many a customer out of a jam.
Roger Schilling led by quiet example,
taking on the task in 1975 of being the first executive vice
president for the newly formed North East Fabricare
Association. There he transformed a young staff into a team of
solid industry advocates. One of those that he mentored remains
as head of NEFA today. Ten years ago he went to work for IFI to
help create new programs for members, then in his final years
wrote articles on small business marketing and public relations
for industry publications.
Rex Carrigan was one of the
industry’s great storytellers. Whenever you met up with
him, you knew you were going to hear a good story and get a
good laugh. But underneath the jovial exterior there was a very
serious man who, after the stories and jokes, would launch into
a monologue about what is wrong with the industry offer his
ideas on how it could be fixed. And wherever he could he put
those ideas to work.
We shall miss them all and try our best
to follow the good examples they set.