by Lina Martinez

Customers make the business success. When you can’t gain buyers’ trust or convince them of the quality of your product, it’s fair to say that your business is going to struggle. As Bill Gates states rightly, your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning because they can help you to understand what you need to improve in your business.

Unfortunately, not every leader shares Gates’s perspectives. Old-fashioned minds continue to believe that bringing products to the market in a timely fashion is the key to success, which can lead to ignoring the actual market interactions. As a result, market participants can be endangered by the delivery, production, and service management decisions you’ve made to ensure your market presence.

Retro delivery fleet

Don’t let your hunger for modern solutions rush the steps

While not all companies have embraced the potential of remote working options yet, more and more secondary projects are outsourced to remote professionals. It’s not uncommon for a company to leave the creation, development, and launch of minor operations to a remote professional, without providing the necessary guidance. However, the danger of using a remote workforce as an add-on solution to explore new technological alternatives for the business can put your customers at risk. Indeed, remote projects need to be planned, managed and reviewed carefully before releasing the end product.

Speed kills in so many ways

Getting your products available as soon as possible requires rapid delivery times. However, it’s important to remind small businesses that delivery is a complex process that requires appropriate shipping and fleet risk management. Indeed, you want to ensure your customers receive the right order. Additionally, you can’t afford to keep your fleet running without scheduling the necessary servicing and rest time for both your trucks and your drivers. Injuries sustained as a result of fleet failure, tiredness, or even unsecured boxes inside the truck can be devastating for your both your business and your staff; without mentioning the fact that customers are likely to be frustrated!

Artificial intelligence saves time and leads to frustration

Customer service is an essential operation for business growth. However, it can be time-consuming. As a result, it’s not uncommon for online businesses to consider cost-friendly alternatives, such as publishing their FAQs to reduce interactions with customers. Additionally, AI solutions are also targeting customer services, via chatbots and data management. While the theory might be appealing; human interaction is preferred when it comes to complex queries where customers need personal reassurance and support. Nobody wants to argue with a robot!

Your products need testing

Bringing new products to the market in record time is no guarantee of a competitive edge. On the contrary, products need thorough testing before they can be released. Coca-Cola launched its new flavor in 1985, without testing the market first. The public backlash was a disaster. In 2009, Peek launched a device designed to send and receive tweets, which fell short of impressing Twitter users. The most memorable failure came with Wow! Chips, a product with artificial fat from Frito-Lay which caused severe gastrointestinal side effects. Testing your market is vital!

Expanded lithium battery from iPhone 3GS

From products that cause harms to poorly managed operations or delivery processes, customers are exposed to a variety of mishaps that could be prevented if businesses took the time to design, monitor and evaluate their workflow. You can’t afford to put your customers second.