Is Your Business “Mom and Pop”?
By Bruce Hodes
Let’s take the “Mom and Pop” out of “Mom and Pop” business. While this could be a cute and catchy slogan, it is meant to be quite serious. It is being offered as a have to and a must for a successful business. If you have a business that has any “Mom and Popness” in it, this has to be driven out immediately. The current business environment absolutely demands it.
Before going any further, let’s define a “Mom and Pop” business. “Mom and Pop” can be defined as a small retail independent business usually owned by a family, hence the name “Mom and Pop”. Another typical definition, the one I will be using, is a relaxed and unprofessional approach to business. According to this definition, it is a form of doing business that is characterized as amateurish and lackadaisical. This way of doing business is not isolated to small independent, family owned businesses. In fact, I have found this in large publically held organizations as well. The current business climate is one that is highly intolerant of this approach to business or organizational life. What follows is a check list to help you assess what aspects of “Mom and Popness” exist in your business and then if it exists what to do about it.
- In your business, is there a formal way to get client feedback? When I send out notes at the end of a session, I attach a client survey for participants to complete. Typically people do not respond. However, over the years, this has been an early way to pick up on customer concerns and issues. In a recessionary business climate, customers are even more valued and you do not want to be blindsided or surprised by their complaints. Within the company, there should be a way customers can provide you with feedback. This allows you to deal with complaints and issues early on and turn unhappy customers into loyal and raving fans. Customer feedback can also give you insights on new products and services.
- Is it easy to interact and do business with your company? Does the customer or potential customer find it easy to speak with the appropriate personnel? Something that I deem to be Mom and Pop”ish” is the proliferation of auto attendants which one now routinely finds in interacting with business. Many companies irrespective of size now have these. Clearly there is a cost saving aspect to this. I find having knowledgeable, educated, and enthusiastic operators are a much more professional approach to business. It is also a differentiator in that having an actual voice now is a rarity in business especially among small to mid size businesses. If you do have people answering the phone, it is critical that they are knowledgeable and helpful in their demeanor. If they are not, then one loses all advantage in this approach and you are better off with the auto attendant. Another aspect is the voice message that is left by the individual. Typically, the message is “I am not available” and in essence the message is saying “I will get to you when I get to you”. If you want a response that will differentiate you from the rest and be customer friendly, either have your phone answered by a knowledgeable person or have a personalized message that gives times that you will respond and alternatives to resolving the issue.
- Are you using technology as a way to enhance the business experience for employees and customers? Over the years, I have seen technology both help and hinder a business. In order for technology to be successful, it must make your company’s life easier. A website is an absolute “must have” for an organization. A company’s website can provide real value for the customers with information regarding services. It also gives a good sense of who you are and what you stand for.
- Is your organization designed to deliver a truly satisfying buying experience to the customer? Are you and your employees merely going through the motions? Is there a real zeal and passion that is manifested by what you are offering the customer? Do you offer new products or enhancements to the service you provide? This can also apply to internal departments for their internal customers. A no to any of the above will lead you to take action and begin to implement design changes to your organization and/or processes.
So how did you and your organization fare when you compared it against the above four points. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how do you and other employee’s rank? How are you improving the company?
Please let me know where you are and how you are dealing with this challenging and changing business environment.
Contact Bruce Hodes with any comments or questions