Ready, Steady, Restart

“the big question is, will the customers come?”

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The masks and PPE, workplace social distancing and special conditions for workers over 60 are all in place and businesses are ready to roll; but the big question is, will the customers come?

We are moving into an economy in recession, where attitude is everything and we will have to use all our talents to succeed.

It’s also a time where more than ever the customer is king. That means we need to increase customer service levels and add extra value. Simple things like greeting customers by name so they feel like heroes just for doing business with us and providing special deals for repeat customers can help to build long-term loyalty.

Pricing, though, looks set to be a strong factor as unemployment rises and the economy slows, so be sure to look at costing and meet lower price points if you experience resistance. Reduce input costs by increasing efficiencies. Staff can be upskilled using the many free online training sites such as Udemy, and their job functions reorganised to maximise the output of every single person.

Perhaps also consider adding job sharing and encourage more productive workdays by using prioritised to-do lists. Be sure to share how working together as a team helps to keep prices low and customers happy. You can also encourage staff input as a way to increase their commitment to company success.

Now is also the time to look at automating (digitise) repetitive functions, especially those where human error is common. For example, move manual data collection onto survey monkey, and manual website inquiries to a chatbot such as Tidio.

Ruthlessly eliminate waste and perhaps change product specifications as well. For example, do training manuals have to be printed or can they be digital? Does steel plate need to be 4mm or can it be reduced to 3mm? Does the cherry cake need 10 cherries, or will 8 do?

So this week, let’s look at ways to rethink and redesign rather than simply restart. When under pressure something different and even more amazing arises and if we look hard enough we are sure to find hidden gems of opportunity.

Wishing you a fabulous week, and as always please do stay in touch and let me know how you are doing.

Kind regards

Catherine

P.S. If you found my letter useful, why not forward it to a friend?

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