Three years after Business Navigators was born Ken Blanchard wrote a book and ever since that time I have used the concept when I talk to clients, workshop participants and people on elevators.
I ask, “If you believe in the goal of having Satisfied Customers please raise your hand”. Usually everyone in the room raises their hand and then I say, “I’d like to change your mind because I believe you don’t want satisfied customers you want ‘Raving Fans’ and then I quote Ken Blanchard’s words.
“Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business you have to create Raving Fans”
Those words were published twenty years ago and in my view not many really people in business have changed their behavior.
What a wonderful opportunity if you were to read this book and use the ‘Three Magic Secrets of Creating Raving Fans, the ultimate in customer service’!
The book is a delightful read because like “The Goal” it is written as a story of encounters between ‘The Area Manager and Charlie his Fairy Godmother. “You can’t be my Fairy Godmother you’re a man” said The Area Manager.
I love Charlie’s response. It’s on page 4 and has something to do with Celestial Equal Opportunities Legislation.
Here are the ‘Three Magic Secrets’ but you really will have to read the book to fully understand what they mean.
- Decide what you want
- Discover what the customer wants
- Deliver Plus One
By the end of the book, The Area Manager has achieved his new goal and is told by the president of the company, “You’re a customer service genius and I want you to do for the company what you’ve done for your department. So, you will replace our retiring Executive Vice-President. Tell me, where will you start?
“Well,” said the Area Manager beaming with pleasure. “Let’s just close our eyes and spend a few minutes visualizing our customers using our products.”
