MARKETING EVOLUTION
ISP if they had a solution for mice. They told her that they would install metallic cables that the mice could not bite through. Without a second’ s hesitation she asked this ISP to share with her what packages were available and how soon they could come to her house to fix it once she made the payment.“ Within 48 hours,” they said.
She made the payment that Friday and true to their word, the ISP came to her house on the Monday morning and connected her to their service. 4 weeks later, she remained connected. Her previous ISP sent her a message telling her that her payment was due. She smiled.
Let us consider some statistics: Dissatisfied customers typically tell 9 to 15 other people about their experience; some tell 20 or more; It takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience; Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer.
There is a significant loss that Elizabeth’ s previous ISP has suffered which will become apparent later. Elizabeth is in her
30s she could live for another 30 years. She paid approximately KES 6,500 per month for internet connectivity. Assuming this figure remains constant, that’ s a loss of 6,500 * 12 * 30 = KES 2,340,000. Doesn’ t seem like much but she shared her frustration with 8 people who could have shared with another 8 and so on.
Being a product of social moulding Elizabeth dealt with her frustration by quietly walking away. Unless another customer goes through a similar experience as Elizabeth’ s and they articulate their pain and frustration, this ISP will not know what they did wrong and how they could improve.
Elizabeth’ s nature is the nature of many Kenyans. They will communicate a pain point with an expectation that the business in question will address it or at least try to do so. When they feel pushed to a wall, they will find an alternative.
These customers will leave a cue. Once it becomes clear that they are not being heard they will leave you for your competitor. For this reason, as a business operating in Kenya, it is imperative that you listen closely to customers. Listening to customers is critical no matter the environment a business operates in.
Some things businesses can do to better serve customers include:
● Have good systems and software in place to serve customers. This includes capturing, compiling, and acting on customer feedback.
● Cease-lessly train all staff about customer experience and service.
● Continuously research market and customer trends to ensure product-market fit.
● Ensure that the business’ s core product works as it should; and Listen, truly listen.
Then, we can all smile. Happy holidays! ■
Marion Wakahe is a marketing professional who is passionate about business growth and sustainability and its role in peoples’ empowerment. She is of the opinion that the marketing function is the primary driver of business growth. You can engage with her via email: MWakahe @ gmail. com.