I recently saw a commercial for a carpet cleaning company advertising the ongoing training their employees receive. I’m not necessarily looking for a carpet cleaning company, but it got me thinking about the wisdom this company used in leveraging what they do well as part of their marketing plan.
We moved into a new house a few years ago and I looked for a moving company to help us. This was before Angie’s List, so the only way I knew to assess the quality of the organization was to question them about their business practices. The first thing I asked was if they provided training to their employees and were they soliciting customer feedback and tracking customer satisfaction. I was amazed at how differently each company responded to these questions. Finally, I chose a company that provided both employee training and customer satisfaction surveys. Knowing that employees participated in a structured training program was important to me (because I didn’t want them to leave my stuff) and I knew that if they requested feedback from customers, they probably had a process in place to deal with customer issues.
7 examples of things that organizations can take advantage of in advertising
1. Employee skills training
Most people value employee training because it gives them confidence that the product or service they are purchasing is delivered by a competent worker. Whether it’s a mechanic working on your car or a customer service representative, people want to know that the person taking care of their needs has had the proper training to do so.
2. Criminal background checks
We all feel vulnerable when someone enters our home or takes care of a loved one, so whether your company has service technicians or has a daycare that takes care of children, inform customers that the verifications of Criminal records are done as part of the evaluation of your employees. The process can help alleviate customer concerns. I work with an organization that checks the backgrounds of volunteers who help with a summer camp. Parents find comfort in knowing that workers who take care of their children have been screened.
3. Certifications and accreditations
Accreditation and certifications verify an organization’s credentials to provide quality products or services. The paying customer is interested in how qualified a company is to meet their needs, so whether an organization hires employees with information technology certifications or is accredited through the Better Business Bureau, the customer cares. These types of credentials are what separate amateurs from professionals.
4. Better places to work
Customers like to interact with happy employees. Organizations that can claim to be nominated or win awards for the best places to work demonstrate credibility with the community and employees.
5. Financial transparency
Nonprofits that depend on donor funding must be financially transparent to maintain credibility with contributors. When organizations or individuals donate to a non-profit organization, they want to know that the money they are donating is being used for what it was intended and is being managed wisely.
6. Satisfied customers
Customers who buy products or services want to be sure that they will receive what is promised. Requesting, monitoring, and sharing customer satisfaction data can be a very effective recruiting tool. Customers want to know that their needs will be met, their voices will be heard, and their problems will be solved.
7. Quality data
Consumers want to know that they are buying quality products and services. Using quality data in advertising is a great way to educate consumers. Whether an organization can claim a 0.001% product defect rate, short lead times, or has won the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, quality data can be a great way to sell your product or service.
Our consumer-driven culture increasingly demands transparency in the way organizations are run. Advertising what an organization does well is a great way to attract the informed customer, so you can boast about your best practices too.