Here I stand, checking my watch and rattling my change while I suffer an intolerable two-minute wait for my fries! So what is my problem? Am I late for an important meeting, double-parked, or just being totally unreasonable? Actually, I’m none of the above. I’m just your average customer and whatever I want - I-WANT- IT- NOW!Remember when fast food first hit the scene? A little young for that? Well how about the advent of the microwave oven, or that first time you stepped up to a PC with 64 K of memory? Admit it, you were amazed! Now, what do you think as you queue up for your burger, add another thirty seconds to finish nuking your leftovers, or wait forever for a simple little multi-megabyte download off the net? Has fast food slowed down? Is your microwave on the fritz? Have you maxed-out your hard drive? Or, are you, like most customers - developing zero time tolerance?
In our grandparents’ day, word of world events came hours, even days after the actual occurrence. Weeks later, a few related black and white photos might be found in a magazine. By the time Gram and Gramps saw the ‘newsreel’, the event, by today’s standards, would be considered ancient history. Now, news comes to us in high definition with surround sound, as it happens, regardless of where it happens.
Did you know that in Japan, a car buyer can visit the dealer of their choice, either in person or on-line, decide on a model, choose from countless options and the very next day be driving a car custom equipped exactly to their wants and needs? Why are the car companies moving heaven and earth to make this happen? Because they know that, even if a customer takes months to decide on what they are going to buy, once they decided - THEY WANT IT NOW!
You’re probably thinking, not everyone wants it fast, right? What about the older folks who like to socialize with those who provide them service? While they may like to spend a little more time chatting, I guarantee they still don’t like to stand in line, or wait at the counter.
Fact is, gone are the days of deferred gratification. This is the era of Zero Time Tolerance. Whatever it is - WE WANT IT NOW!
So if you're in the sales and service business (like who isn't?) and you are not already obsessed with faster service, think about it - I am… and I’m the customer.
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I want it now and I want all the information about it -- those seem to me to be the two strongest trends and I believe they are linked. As a consumer I may want the product or service now, but I also want you (the sales representative) to be my source for great information so that I can make (or confirm) my purchase decision. It ties into immediacy -- the one-stop shop idea.
ReplyDeleteEB
Don't get confused that fast service means mindless, faster than the speed of light maneuvers that get the customer out the door in split time. I think it's about being the RIGHT service...some like it fast, some like it thorough, some even like it slow. The point is that you have to RESPOND to what the clues are telling you about the customer and provide the RIGHT SERVICE. ...the RIGHT tone of voice, The RIGHT posture, the RIGHT knowledge and the RIGHT result. Great customer service requires a combination of Desire to serve and the skills to deliver. That's my 2 cents Jim.
ReplyDeleteHey Jim, another gem, and this one was aimed right at me. You must have been looking over my shoulder in London yesterday when I really did fail to convince the sales assistant that I was a customer and that I wanted it now. Still she did listen to me enough to hear that I was about to contact her competitor and to see whether they could serve me-NOW! Please come to UK and help us shout a little louder to get the massage through.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up - Ray