In a previous post I talked about asking questions as a way to stimulate ideas. Questions open your mind to possibilities. One question in particular, when asked over and over again, can dramatically improve your company’s long-term profitability. That question is:
How can I improve my service?
I am talking about service in a general sense and not just customer service or product support. If a washing machine cleans clothes in half the time and costs the same as the average machine then it can be said to provide “greater service.”
Your company’s success is directly related the level of service your products and services provide. Said another way, the more your product meets your customers needs the more value it has. By asking the service question on a regular basis, generating ideas, and implementing those ideas into your organization, you create a habit of continually improving the appeal of your product and how much you can charge for it. More service, more profit. More service than your competitors, more customers for you. You can improve your service by:
Improving features of your product
- Saving people money
- Saving people time
- Providing more convenient hours
- Improve quality or durability
Bonus: Besides asking yourself the magic question, ask your customers too. They can be a gold mine for innovation.
