In business, you cannot be a one-day sensation. Not even a one-year flash-in-the-pan. You have to sustain whatever it is that customers were attracted to in your product or your shop in the first place. Remember that the competition is also keenly watching your every move even as consumer choices are increasing.
Consistency is the key. Its importance in business is quite obvious. But many firms, especially small ones, would be off to a good start but stop trying to meet standards at some point in their growth.
A restaurant in Quezon City was the rave two decades ago. It was rather pricey but the food was outstanding and customers kept going back for the superior gastronomic experience, which was enhanced by a solicitous crew. Soon enough, it became apparent the quality of the food could fluctuate from one day to the next. Service also became erratic. The crowd became increasingly thinner and eventually, the restaurant closed its doors.
A company’s brand is driven by more than the combination of promises made and promises kept. What’s also critical is ensuring customers recognize the delivery of those promises, which requires proactively shaping communications and key messages that consistently highlight delivery as well as themes.
Consistency, according to CBS Money Watch, must cut through all dimensions of the business, including the following:
Products/services: Be consistent with what you produce and sell. Avoid sloppy variations in quality, service, packaging, delivery, etc. Disappoint a customer once, and you will be hard pressed to win back his loyalty, resulting in lost business and returns.
Customers: Meeting customer expectations consistently will keep customers happy and loyal. It will also lead to positive word of mouth. It is not enough to make customers happy with each individual transaction or interaction. A consistent customer journey should span the whole range of customer experiences from the time he walked in to your shop and brought the product to actually using it to having issues with the product that require resolution.
Employees: Employees are the most important assets of a business and should be given the same consistency Policies should, thus, be standardized, unambiguous and in writing, and employees should always know what is expected of them and how they will be treated.
Suppliers: The primary manifestation of consistency with suppliers is, of course, payment. Ideally that means paying on time, if not every time, then for most cases. It should be noted, however, that suppliers are not intolerant and will allow for occasional lapses.
Remember, if you need a special favor or treatment from a supplier, payment history can weigh heavily for or against you.
Operations: Inconsistency is inefficient. Whether you are manufacturing, importing, retailing or providing a service, the more you can standardize the basic operations of your business, the better.
Photo: fromwww.karenphelps.com