When someone orders something from you, they want the process to be smooth and trouble-free. As the seller, you do too. As far as order management goes, the devil is in the details.
Standard operating procedures are key to providing a good customer experience. Over the years I’ve developed a number of these procedures, all born out of experiences I’ve had that have taught me how to provide the best possible experience for whoever is ordering a piece of equipment.
- Know exactly what the customer wants. The better you know your customer’s needs, the better you can fulfill those needs. Ask them lots of questions. Learn all you can about what they need and why they need it. The more you learn from them, the better you can anticipate what they require.
- Lay it out for them. Our job is to give them everything they need on a silver platter. That’s a good buying experience. This is their machine, custom built for them. This is your chance to really showcase what you can do for them.
- Double-check everything. After ordering the equipment, we don’t just give it to the customer. We double check all parts and cross-check them with our order list. If the customer gets the wrong part, that can negatively affect their image of you, and that’s not something you want them to remember about you.
- Ensure they have all the details. When the customer receives the equipment, it has to be installed. The electrician is going to want to know how many motors there are. What’s the horsepower of each motor? How much air does each piece of equipment need? Is it fixed speed or variable speed? We know all these questions are coming, so we give them this document outlining the specs on each individual piece of equipment that they’ve bought.
- Debrief your staff. After every order is completed, it’s crucial to review everything and find out what worked and what didn’t. We have white boards on our wall that we use to outline everything that happened from beginning to end. This way we have checks to make sure that everything flows the way it’s supposed to. Once it’s all done and checked off on the board, you can see if everything’s been covered off or if there’s something left outstanding that has to be dealt with.
There’s no one-size-fits all approach to order management. Follow the above general steps and you’ll ensure a seamless experience for the customer and your staff.
