Andy Raynor - Beyond the Brief
Andy Raynor's blog
You're all the same...
(...not just an excuse for a Joe Jackson video, but we all like a treat...have a look at the bottom of the page....)
I woke this morning to find that I missed a close call down at the takeaway last night. Evidently had I phoned an order and offered my bank card instead of cash I would have been surrounded by moped couriers untill I agreed to leave my watch as surety for the chicken Kashmir.
So our favourite....sorry, our....bank has dropped another processing clanger, leaving thousands stranded at the checkout. I listened to Jim and Evan this morning on Radio 4 getting lathered about the number of customers that will be lost to rivals, which will be...
...negligible, actually.
That blessing is a problem in disguise. The customers are not staying for any positive reason at all.
And it is exactly the same for the majority of clients of accountants and lawyers. You can get away with murder.
Why? Because there are three reasons your clients do not leave you, and none of them are to do with your brilliance.
1. You are not the top of the list
Forgive me, but your best friend should tell you - you are not the most important thing in your client's life. Most clients are forgiving until you become vital. And then if you let them down....
2. It's an effort
So why would I elect to change my adviser and make work in the process? Beware of encouraging inertia as your friend....
3. They don't know where to go
Where am I going to get better? It's a hollow protest if you really ARE all the same. Do you want to live in fear of clients finding a real alternative?
This is not pretty. For sure there are clients that love you to bits but you need to make sure that experience is repeated throughout your customers.
And NONE of that is about being the same as the opposition.
Tell me what you think at andy@andypraynor.com
And take a look at what's been said before by looking in the archive:
PS And Joe Jackson? I may not agree with some of the sentiments but oh, the songs are still great....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNzzK1dUtCI&playnext=1&list=PL3F54B05D47167171&feature=results_main
© Andy Raynor 2013