Better to be loved than liked: Print 21 magazine article

A little bit of extra effort can make all the difference between simply keeping a customer satisfied and having them come back for more. Jenny Clarke knows how to make your customers fall in love – with you.

One of the worse things you can do is print and deliver as the customer expects it. Yes, you read correctly - printing to the specs or delivering on the agreed day will result in your customer only liking you. What your marketing should be striving for is for customers to LOVE you.

Being liked is nice, but being loved is the aim of the game. Think of all the outstanding service you've received as a customer yourself ... what specifically was it that made it stand out? I'm betting that you went back again, maybe purchased even more than last time or, even better, you referred that product or service to others. That is what exceptionally satisfied customers do – tell others! How?

Be the expert
A customer wants a non-standard size job printed but the specs requested means that when the job goes to layout there is a fair amount of wastage per sheet. You know that by reducing one dimension by just a few millimetres there will be better economies per sheet, hence a lower cost for the job. Tell them!

A quick phone call or email to offer this suggestion will go a long way in their books. A flexible customer will jump at the chance that you've offered your expertise to make their job cheaper. The customer may need that size for a particular reason, but the fact is you've shown them you are thinking of their budget and ways to improve their job, not just simply doing what you were told. A few other possibilities include:

* Ganging up similar stock jobs to run together for better economies.
* Recommending an alternative stock that is cheaper or better quality.
* Suggesting another finish that you know will complement the job.

You are the print expert, so how can you offer unexpected expert advice to your next quote?

A quick heads up
This simple email is often over looked – the email that THANKS the customer for the work and tells them that the job has started. Once the customer has signed off the quote or given the go ahead, they often hear nothing until the job is delivered. By responding to the approval with an update on the job, it tells the customer that they are important to you. It's easy to send an email along the lines of:

Dear XXXX, Just a quick email to let you know we've received your approval with many thanks. The job has started and on track for delivery on XX/XX. Regards ...

Don't wait for your customer to chase you asking about their job, tell them!

For the bigger jobs that involve a far amount of production time or high value, send another 'heads up' update just to let them know that the job is going well and to tell them of the estimated delivery. It's more than just an update; it's another opportunity to promote to your customer. You'll be amazed how many times a reminder email can prompt new quotes or jobs! The 'oh yeah, I've been meaning to print that' response.

Dress up the delivery
The job is completed and ready for delivery/collection. It's such a waste to send a standard email – 'ready for collection' or 'being delivered today'. Why not let your customer know what you have done, how and when? For example:

Dear XXXX, Great news, your A5 cards are ready and look fantastic - we're really happy with them. In fact, we're so pleased that, with your permission, we'd like to show them to our potential customers as an example of our work.

A courier has been organised to deliver this afternoon. Good luck with the campaign. Regards ...

Other variations include:
* You ordered 5000, but there were a few extra hundred printed, so we've thrown them in at no extra cost.
* We know that the agreed delivery date was XX/XX, however the job was completed earlier than expected so we've arranged for a courier this afternoon instead of tomorrow.
* Last time the delivery to your loading bay was held up a few hours, so we've rung ahead and advised them of the expected delivery.

Get the idea how a little thought and effort can add even more value to what is considered 'just delivery'? Delivery shouldn't be forgotten as a part of your marketing programme.
To make your customers love you:
* Offer your expertise, not just your presses.
* Tell them what you are doing, when and how. Keep them up-to-date with the progress of the job.
* Even the delivery aspect should have a marketing focus with thought and effort.

Don't just do what you are told – go beyond your customer's expectations (and your competitors!) to make your business stand out, be remembered and, better still, be referred to others. Create an advocate, not just a customer.