DELIVERING on promises to customers no longer suffices in making a company reliable, according to Hermawan Kertatajaya, founder of marketing consultant firm MarkPlus and president of World Marketing Association.
“Customers are getting smarter and their expectations, higher. Delivering what has been promised now is (accepted as) just okay. You need to be responsive and show a sense of urgency for clients’ requests and needs,” said Hermawan.
Speaking at the Panorama Management Conference in Lombok on February 21, he said today’s customers also need assurance that whoever is handling them possesses professional knowledge, understands their needs and finds solutions to problems.
He added that while in the past clients were treated like ‘kings’, today, the service industry needs to engage more with clients and become their ‘friends’. “You need to show empathy, find out about their desire and anxiety, and fulfil their requests even before they ask you.”
He also said to stay relevant in the ever-changing competitive landscape, reliability for a service company needs to take on a new meaning, which is not just being “okay to customers”, but also to “wow them”.
“Loyalty is no longer determined (only) by how many repeat customers you get, but whether they advocate (others) to (use your services). With so many offers available, it is natural for customers to try different products and services, but which ones they consider better than others and which ones they recommend to their families and friends matter.”
“You cannot stop competitors from catching up but you have to change again before they catch up with you,” he said, while also reminding conference participants that with information widely available through the Internet, company promotions are no longer the strongest tool to attract customers.
Panorama Group CEO, Budi Tirtawisata, said this is the same direction the company is taking.
“We have been coming up with new products and services, creating joint ventures and becoming a regional player, developing e-commerce – all for staying ahead of the competition.”
The management’s strategy is to ride the growth momentum of Indonesian tourism, positioning Panorama as the most integrated group of tourism companies.
