Roll out the red carpet is a phrase you�ll hear me say from time to time, and the carpet I�m referring to is for our customers. This customer-centric approach is the fundamental philosophy of Geotest and that of the Marvin Group, our parent company.
Regardless of the market you�re in, the customer should always be number one. Time and again, we see cases where company leaders focus only on running the business and, as a result, neglect their customers. They may realize their mistake but sometimes not soon enough.
Focusing attention and efforts on customer satisfaction is what we preach and teach everyone within our organization, whether they be sales people or design engineers. But being customer-centric doesn�t only mean that the customer is always right. This is an old adage that doesn�t sufficiently serve today�s customers.
For Geotest, being customer-centric is more than offering catalog products. If we are asked for a product that�s not in our catalog, we don�t just say no. We evaluate the request to see if it�s possible to develop a custom product. In fact, many of the items in our portfolio today are a result of developing or modifying products based on a specific request.
Being customer-centric also means that we work with customers to develop a system that solves a specific problem, even if it includes using products from other suppliers. And when it comes to delivering test systems, we realize that one size does not fit all. Each customer has its own needs or capabilities.
The other part of a customer-centric business is support, probably one of the most neglected areas in our industry. Most companies try to use one support model for all customers, applications, and situations. But customers have a range of skill sets, and the support model must take into account this spectrum of skills.
Depending on the needs, we�ll train customers how to use our products as well as how to integrate them into their test systems. Additionally, we will be there�on-site or via phone and e-mail�during the integration and debug phase if help is needed.
Our technical support personnel are experienced engineers that can provide application as well as product support to resolve technical issues correctly and quickly. And if we have a customer with a critical situation that can�t be resolved remotely, we fly an engineer anywhere in the world to help them.
Does this philosophy really work? For Geotest, the answer is yes, especially once we developed the web-based support system called M@GIC, short for My account @ GeotestInc.Com.
Like many other companies, we were looking for a good help-desk software package but couldn�t find one that had all the features we needed. Being a company with both hardware and software engineering capability, we created a top-notch, timely help desk online to supplement our customer support efforts.
M@GIC allows our engineering, marketing, management, and sales staffs to view our customer�s requests and problems. As a result, every M@GIC incident submitted by a customer gets the attention of the whole organization beyond that supplied by our customer technical support staff.
Satisfied Customers
The success of our web-centric support structure and organization is reflected in feedback from our customers. Here are two testimonials regarding the support they received via M@GIC.
Figure 1 illustrates some creative, out-of-the-box thinking one of our customers received when he called us for technical support. Understanding the issue this customer faced, our engineer proposed a different approach that hadn�t even been considered.
Figure 1.
In Figure 2, the customer�s problem was complex, and a M@GIC e-mail-based exchange to fully understand the issue would have taken a great deal of time and effort. Instead, our engineers called the customer, got the necessary information, and immediately suggested a solution.
Figure 2.
So, how do you instill these values in managers and employees? Training is always a good approach, but it has its limits. You can train a person to be proficient with a product, an application, or specific task. But how do you train mindset?
A smart general once said: �If you have to pull rank to convince your subordinates to do what you ask them to, it�s time to be looking for another job�.� Maybe it�s my military background, but I always believe that to manage and lead you need to set an example.
At Geotest and the Marvin Group, setting an example starts with Marvin Gussman, the Marvin Group�s CEO. He expects hard work from employees, but he himself works six days a week. He expects employees to provide world-class service to customers, and he himself will spend days with a customer in meetings or on the production floor if he thinks that customer is only 95% satisfied. Leading by example makes it easy to instill customer-centric values to managers and employees.
To encourage innovative thinking, you have to do it yourself. Do not expect your subordinates and coworkers to be creative if you always take the expected, safe approach�if your line of thought is always the traditional one.
And most importantly, do not expect anyone to roll out the red carpet if you do not do it yourself. So, take the lead, roll out the red carpet, and watch your company change into a successful customer-centric organization.
About the Author
Loofie Gutterman, co-founder of Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, has more than 20 years of experience in the test and measurement business. During his tenure with Geotest, he has filled many roles within the company, including vice president of systems engineering, COO, and now president. Previously, Mr. Gutterman was employed at RSi, a test system manufacturer in Tel Aviv, Israel. He currently serves as the president of the PXI Systems Alliance. Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, 1770 Kettering, Irvine, CA 92614-5616, 949-263-2222, e-mail: [email protected]
May 2007