Whose Problem Is It, Anyway?
The best marketers, dealers and service providers take responsibility for their customers’ difficulties, and resolve those issues as quickly as possible.
March 2007 By
I’ll start this column on a personal note.
I hate Volkswagen.
I should also say that my wife hates VW.
With that out of the way, I ask this question:
Are you a Volkswagen or a Toyota?
Toyota has a “good” problem and a “bad” problem—and they’re the same problem: Toyota’s way of doing business.
The “good” part of its problem is that it’s turning Toyota into the largest automotive company in the world. The Toyota Way of doing business clearly revolves around quality products and quality customer service.
The “bad” part of Toyota’s problem is that, as it grows, it must figure out how to make sure it perpetuates its “good” problem. By entering so many new markets, Toyota needs to train all of its new hires on how to do all the great things it currently does as a company for its growth strategy to continue to work.
When good and bad collide
How does Toyota, a multi-billion dollar company, relate to your business?
First, do you have a “good” problem? Do you have a way of doing business that assures customer satisfaction with the quality and performance of the products you sell and the services you provide?
Toyota’s “quality” image exists because the company knows it’s at the core of its success. Customers crave reliability, and most want it before they want the newest technology. For example, Toyota might not have been the first company to make ABS brakes standard on its cars, but its inclusion speaks to the importance of quality over the latest technology advantage. When Toyota does introduce new technology, it works exceedingly well; the Hybrid Toyota Prius is a great example of the company’s technology leadership.
As custom installers and integrators, are you trying to introduce the latest technology features in your installations without making sure that they actually work? Are you beta-testing on your customers? I recently had a conversation with a dealer who’s trying to find a Windows-based media server to sell to his customers. He asked my advice, so I simply told him it’s too early for such a product for almost all of his customers. The technology is not yet viable for mass consumption.
It’s your problem, not the customer’s
Well, what about VW? They clearly have a problem and it’s strictly a bad problem. It not only has reliability problems, but it’s not handling those problems well.
I hate Volkswagen.
I should also say that my wife hates VW.
With that out of the way, I ask this question:
Are you a Volkswagen or a Toyota?
Toyota has a “good” problem and a “bad” problem—and they’re the same problem: Toyota’s way of doing business.
The “good” part of its problem is that it’s turning Toyota into the largest automotive company in the world. The Toyota Way of doing business clearly revolves around quality products and quality customer service.
The “bad” part of Toyota’s problem is that, as it grows, it must figure out how to make sure it perpetuates its “good” problem. By entering so many new markets, Toyota needs to train all of its new hires on how to do all the great things it currently does as a company for its growth strategy to continue to work.
When good and bad collide
How does Toyota, a multi-billion dollar company, relate to your business?
First, do you have a “good” problem? Do you have a way of doing business that assures customer satisfaction with the quality and performance of the products you sell and the services you provide?
Toyota’s “quality” image exists because the company knows it’s at the core of its success. Customers crave reliability, and most want it before they want the newest technology. For example, Toyota might not have been the first company to make ABS brakes standard on its cars, but its inclusion speaks to the importance of quality over the latest technology advantage. When Toyota does introduce new technology, it works exceedingly well; the Hybrid Toyota Prius is a great example of the company’s technology leadership.
As custom installers and integrators, are you trying to introduce the latest technology features in your installations without making sure that they actually work? Are you beta-testing on your customers? I recently had a conversation with a dealer who’s trying to find a Windows-based media server to sell to his customers. He asked my advice, so I simply told him it’s too early for such a product for almost all of his customers. The technology is not yet viable for mass consumption.
It’s your problem, not the customer’s
Well, what about VW? They clearly have a problem and it’s strictly a bad problem. It not only has reliability problems, but it’s not handling those problems well.
