Mapping Mind of Customer

Crocodile's Commitment
Ugly Duck But Treat as a Swan
Snack's Surprise
Tiger demands honor
Owl owns everything in night
Monkey changes mood at every second
Eagle is - Loyal & Royal
Rat believes in adding value whenever travel

Don't think much! I was just trying to match animals and birds with human figure to make out 'Customer'. But yes, definition of customer is over.

Few sentences to understand customer in words -

1. A customer is not dependent on us but we are dependent on him.
2. A customer is a person who brings us his wants. It is our job to handle them profitably to him and to ourselves.
3. A customer is the most important person ever in this office, in person or in mail.
4. A customer is not an interruption of our work; he is the purpose of it. We are not doing a favor by serving him; he is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.
5. A customer is not someone to argue or match wits with. Nobody ever won argument with a customer.

A customer is an identity who deserves Commitment, Satisfaction, Value addition, Honor, Service, Loyalty and Surprise!!

Favor me to apply to build THE CUSTOMER.

1. Don't take me granted, understand seriously
2. Improve my knowledge
3. Be competitive
4. Provide effective service
5. Friendliness?
6. Anticipate my needs in advance
7. Keep me inform for every new schemes or product
8. Explain me in my language
9. Follow-up
10. Courtesies at least basic
11. Honesty
12. Listen to me quietly
13. Empathy
14. Dedicate your time to attend me
15. Respect my values

In few terms, customer wants...

Commitment

There are at least three stages through which a firm must pass to become truly customer driven - Bliss, Awareness and Commitment. - Naumann, Earl.

Commitment is key factor to build relationships among persons. Take an employee, employer or customer. If you are not committed then it's early to understand that there are no shortcuts in life to win the race.

Satisfaction

Sam Walton, CEO of Wal-Mart said, " Satisfied, loyal repeat customers are the heart of Wal-Mart's spectacular profit margins, and those customers are loyal to us because our associates treat them better than salespeople in other stores do."

John Egan, Jaugar Automotive quoted on customer satisfaction " The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers."

Add Value

Value addition is becoming customer's expected wish from seller. Companies claim to provide value for money and value for expectations.

Smart customers look for added value. They already understand the technical performance of the product. The choice of supplier will depend on less tangible considerations. - Horovitz wrote in 'Winning Ways'.

Honor

Rather every other thing, most important thing to learn for seller is to honor customer. Honor choice, belief, test, self, expectation and even budget. Let a buyer comes in your car shop even if he has budget of a small moped. Customer should feel your shop like an open place to move in and wish if everything can be bought from you!!

Dverye Catherine quoted on Japanese's management " In Japan, the world customer translates into "Honored Guest in One's Home". Surely, that is how we want all tourists to feel."

Surprise

Try to cross customer's expectations. Surprise the snack. Satisfying is an old adage.

Robert & David wrote in "Secred Cows Make The Best Burgers", "In this business environment, satisfy the customer is a sacred cow. Even most car dealers are doing that. Sales managers and store managers everywhere are imploring their people to put the customer first. But they are all playing catch-up. In the new world of commerce, satisfying is only the beginning... so don't satisfy your customers; everyone does it. Surprise them. Give them something they don't expect."

Customer development process flows from Suspects to Partner. Suspect if confirmed becomes prospect. Prospect if confirmed becomes first time customer. Then becomes repeat customer. Customer later becomes client, member, advocates and finally partner.

"When you boil it all down, your customers and clients use three criteria to measure you.

Communication
Service
And Added value

How well you handle these three items is a reliable indicator of how long you'll keep your clients."

In my experience, the perfect customer is a friend who is a decision-maker who not only likes what I'm proposing but will help me conquer any pockets of resistance within his or her company. The not-so-perfect customer is someone who says yes, lets me work my way through his company, and then gets talked out of it by subordinates. The least perfect customer of course, is the one who doesn't agree with me it the first place. Said McCormaack.