The manufacturing economy is tough right now, and the way to stand out in the custom electronics field is to deliver customer service that doesn't just meet and exceed your customers' needs – it also has to provide them with resources and support that they can't get anywhere else. If you're thinking of your relationship with customers as primarily transactional, you're thinking of the bare minimum. What makes custom electronics companies thrive is the richness of service they provide.
We pride ourselves on providing fantastic customer service, and >other companies take notice. Our strategy can be seen as a two-part road map for success that can be implemented in your business as well:
- We partner with exceptional companies in niches complementary to our own. Focusing on a well-defined niche – ours is recurring small batch, often high-hassle orders which can cause a lot of frustration on both sides if they're not handled well – lets us deliver service quality that exceeds generalists, and boosts customer confidence through the roof.
When a customer needs something that falls outside our sweet spot, we refer them to one of these trusted partners. This shows our customers that we have their best interests in mind, not their purchasing power, and the fact that we can provide trusted references takes reduces the customer's stress about finding new contract manufacturers to meet their needs. This reciprocal relationship between our partners and our company makes both companies stronger.
- We put the customer front and center in all our considerations. Our Customer-Centric Teams (CCTs) are built to assess and address customer needs, and allow each member on the team to develop a deep familiarity with their needs, pain points, and goals. Customer Liaisons keep lines of communication open so we always know what's going on.
And we don't allow ourselves to get too comfortable. We approach our customers and ask some very open-ended questions, paying close attention to how we could better serve them, and then revise our process accordingly. We're human, and we might not agree with a customer's thoughts, or we might not want to hear it – but we always take their needs into consideration and look to find ways to improve our process, even if it's not the most comfortable thing in the world. Our customer service is the most important part of our business.
These lessons from the small batch custom electronics world can be applied for success in any manufacturing space, and can improve the health of the industry overall. So start focusing in on how best to serve your customers – the rewards are phenomenal.
RBB welcomed Dani in 2010 as Materials Specialist. In 2011 she joined the Sales Team where she helps develop pricing quotes and manages related project information for customers. In her free time, Dani enjoys being a performing singer/songwriter.
