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The Raving Fan Domino Effect

A few weeks ago, two of my co-workers recommended Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard, a book that has solidified several of my business beliefs. The concepts are not complicated. In fact, they are Customer Service 101 but in our complicated world of transaction processing, it is easy to lose sight of the basics. 
 
The premise of the book is that having satisfied customers is not enough; you need your customers to be Raving Fans!  Raving Fans offer both B2B and B2C companies a competitive edge in the marketplace. After all, 90% of people who write reviews write them to help other people make better buying decisions and 81 percent of all consumers use customer reviews to help them make the better decision. In our own world, most of our clients have come through referrals. I definitely do not want to rely on lukewarm reviews or referrals from satisfied customers for our next sale. I want glowing reviews from Raving Fans.



The book explains that to turn customers into raving fans you have to:

•   Decide who you want as a customer
•   Imagine offering them perfect service.
•   Communicate often
     o   To ensure you are in touch with their needs
     o   To ensure that you are offering the top-notch service you think you are

“We want Raving Fans!” I have been using this phrase for several days now. I am making my whole team crazy, but, Raving Fans are exactly what have grown Multi Service since our inception in 1978. We decided many years ago that we were going to focus on commercial transaction processing. Throughout the years, we have considered opportunities that deviated from this concept and, when we have decided to pursue these opportunities, we've realized that they've not been great for us because we cannot offer the best solution.

Our private label clients rely on us for their programs because they understand our commitment to the level of service that creates Raving Fans. Usually, our clients have come to us out of their own desire to satisfy a customer need, and we go above and beyond to find a solution. The next step, I've realized, is to ensure that our clients' customers are more than satisfied. Like a Raving Fan Domino effect, when the account holders become Raving Fans of our clients, it will ensure that our clients continue to be Raving Fans of ours as well.

-Martha