Knots in all the wrong places…
As small business owners, we accept that we cannot perform background checks for everything, but… Something would be far better if we could
As the owner of four dogs and a cat who claims to be one of the pack, I have learned, no that’s not right. Been forced? Been taught? Been broken?? For the sake of what I think is my dominance within the group, lets stick with, I have learned…. Yes, I have learned to get used to doggy piles, no space on the sofa, drool on pretty much everything, the constant stares, the never having a moment to myself, the hair in my food, the hair in my water, and the hair on my clothes.
The Roomba pulling 12 hour shifts to collect the hair that managed to make it onto the floor. Just the other day, I received an email from the department of A.I. workers union, informing me that, Laurel (that’s the Roomba’s name) would be requiring paid leave and medical due to working conditions being outside of what was seen to be “reasonable”.
I’ve gotten used to pawing at the bedroom door at 5am and there being a ‘Ninja Warrior’ style assault course of animals, their treats and toys to navigate on the way to, well, pretty much anywhere in the house.
There are always too many cooks in my kitchen, and everyone wants a taste.
I have gotten used to all of this, because being made an honorary part of their pack comes with so many more benefits. Even some of the things listed above have their benefits.
Unlike the commitment I have made to my dogs, I don’t feel bound to a supplier in the same way, and with a few clicks I can have an appointment with another smooth talker to promise me the earth in exchange for the ever decreasing wad of lolly that’s pressed tightly to the bosom of my bank manager.
It isn’t the same way for what is becoming more and more common place as the average customer. The average customer is, quite rightly, especially in this age, very apprehensive when putting their trust in a company. But what is, for me, not so understandable is the lack of respect that is given to the company, its employees, the knowledge and expertise, the property, it’s time or their part of the transaction, contract or not, in which they aren’t only a part of but were the instigators of…..
Time and time again, I talk to 80 hour a week plus business owners who have to stop paying themselves on a regular basis due to late and non-payment. They tell me of the tole upon the business and their personal lives that the stresses of having to navigate and deal with what has become the trend of ‘pay only when you truly must’ in absolute silent obedience.
This is something that many of us if not all must deal with. Deal with or else face the consequences??
What, in any other area of societal interaction do we call this sort of thing?
Customer Background Check Anyone??
Imagine for a moment, the time that you have, spent on the customers who are deserving of what you offer. The customer who not only understands the value of your service but gives the same value as a customer in return.
These same customers are, due to you having to spend much of your time fighting mostly non-existent fires in order to please those who expect the eternal gratitude, offered ordinarily to those described in ancient texts and carved into Tibetan mountains, for simply using the service that you spent decades perfecting, are instead being put on the back burner, are not receiving the attention that should.
The customer who would make our day, the customer who not only appreciates our expertise, but respects our time, our colleagues and reciprocates the open and friendly manner in which you tailor your approach, has been forced onto the bench, to wait in the wings and to expect the least of your time.
Imagine being able to spend all of your time on the great customers, or at least flip the scale and spend the majority of it on them.
Background Check. Background Check. Background Check. Background Check. Background Check.
In your everyday life, do you search out the worst connections, spend all of your time on friends with whom you have nothing in common. Do you eat at the worst restaurants, drive the crappiest car, or make your own electric toothbrush and then hope for the best? Well, do you??
You now have the ability, just as you do with a materials or service provider, the ability to see a customer’s history. What they are like to work with. How they perform and how well they uphold their end of an agreement.
You are now able to perform a background check in seconds, to read live and bang unto date reviews from other businesses….
It’s not all about finding the bad apples…..
Hindsight Rated, also allows for your business to keep an eye on those customers who bloody amazing. The ones who when they get in contact, always make you smile and brighten the days of your people.
Hindsight Rated allows for you, through rating these customers, not only to show them how great you think they are, but also to make sure that they get a preferred customer experience from other companies.
I have a customer, who actually takes the guys who we send to his home to do work, up in his aeroplane and teaches them to fly, when they have finished whatever it was that they were sent there for. He even pays the extra hourly rate….
Having a dog is just like having a business. From the moment you bring it home, it needs consistency, a routine, plenty of warmth and nurture. It needs correction when it goes off track and although there are somethings that you simply have to make a part of your life, with a little guidance, with the insight of others who have been in your situation to guide you in one direction or the other, and with a little Hindsight (see what I did there?!?), you are able to make an informed decision on how best to proceed.
