Week 4r : The Customer is King - How to build a convenient bridge by embracing customers

The Customer is King

-       How to build a convenient bridge by embracing customers

As a customer for about 15 years since I bought my first candy in store by myself at five, I would like to share with you about one impressed experience as a customer. It was in a steak restaurant named Chicago Firehouse, which is located in Michigan Ave, Chicago. I went there when I was travelling in Chicago because I searched the Internet and found it is listed among top 10 steak restaurant there. With curiosity and hunger, I went there with my friends. I was attracted by its elegant design and decoration at the first glance. Later on, a waiter with nice smile came and gave me some sweet recommendations. This action made a foreigner who came to U.S. less than two months feel comfortable and relaxed. After I started eating my delicious steak, the waiter came twice to ask me: “How do you like it?” “Do you feel comfortable eating western food?” etc. After I had finished eating, one manager came here and asked me nicely about the feelings of eating their steak as a Asian as well as Asian people’s eating habit and favorite tastes. He was taking notes when I was sharing about my feelings. Amazing experience!  

 

Returning back to the book, Groundswell tells us in Chapter 9: “Innovating with help from your customers is such a great idea.”  Because the further you develop relationships with your customers, the deeper customers could involve into your company. It is called embracing the groundswell.

“The customer is king” is a popular Chinese saying, which teaches businessmen to build a good relationship with customers. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and this is true for those who have a business relationship. The customers want to feel as if they matter to the business owner, as they are part of the reason why the business is still in existence.

Groundswell highlights some effectives methods to build a convenient bridge by embracing customers. The book recommends “idea exchanges” and “making conversations mixed with humility and creativity”, which impressed me a lot.

Build a forum or a website to embrace your customers. On one hand, through the discussion section, the company could collect customers’ suggestions, comments, and opinions about the development of the business. For instance, instead of saying, “Tell us what to do”, it is better to have a subtle difference “What would you do if you were us?” It could encourage the customers to develop empathy as well as bring up realistic suggestions.  On the other hand, always remember response is more important than feedback. Companies should not only collect these comments but also show customers how they react to them and how they are trying to make improvements. All in all, it is a useful tool to build convenient bridge with your customers by mass media.

No matter what kind of business you are in, the customer is forever king for you. Always be modest. However, a balance between skill and humility should be highly concerned. It is unwise to go either side extremely, but you could have a focus. For instance, USPS is an agency for providing postal service in the United States. The goal for USPS should always be embracing customers. Starting routine conversations with customers to get suggestions and feedbacks so as to improve efficiency and accuracy. However, there is a totally different picture for Apple. The main focus should always be put on the R& D department to have new inventions; otherwise it is a kind of waste of talent.

Embracing is taping into customers circle to be their honest friends, not just listening quietly and patiently, but also with wise solutions. It is a faster way to initiate business successfully.