Listening to your customer is key for business success – any business. The “roach coach” restaurant on wheels has done this successfully by identifying and following potential customers – being where they are. Another LA based business that is listening to their customers is the Kogi Korean taco truck. They listened to late night partiers who craved greasy snacks at 2 a.m. Kogi uses Twitter to communicate with their fans and help their hungry patrons locate the truck. It has become an obsession, people line up on the curb before the truck even appears. It is like a celebrity spotting. As the truck appears, everyone shouts “Kogi” and starts clapping.
While many large corporations may struggle with two-way communication with their customers, the Kogi trucks clearly have made inroads using Twitter. Customers and fans feel empowered and connected…Not satisfied with their Kogi treats in the wee hours of the morning, they asked for the truck to appear in corporate business parks for lunch.
That is when I got my taste. My team watched Twitter and we all ran out the door when the location and time was set. We were there 30 minutes early and we had 25 people in front of us. With all the excitement, I found myself chanting “Kogi” as the truck drove into the parking lot. After an hour in line, I got my kimchee and spicy tofu tacos.
You cannot build a brand that resonates with your customers until you listen to your customer.
photo used by permission by Katrina Snaps
Ken
Your example makes an excellent point about business – that success depends greatly on listening to customers – although I’m sure you will agree it often means listening to the “right” customers while muting others.
The larger the sale, the bigger the stakes. In working with enterprise customers in supply chain solutions, this distinction becomes painfully obvious. Many times what some customers want, what they need and what truly makes sense for all involved are three entirely different things. If one were to respond to every customer’s input indiscriminately, products would be late to market and priced beyond what anyone would pay.
This is a delicate balancing act and a real challenge trying not to offend anyone, but a necessary evil for the amount of risk involved.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Don F Perkins
Great point! If we were running a firewood delivery company. No matter how many times we were asked to make home deliveries in a Cadillac, it would not be feasible. The old pickup truck would be the choice. But the first customer that asked for it to be delivered by the semi-truck load would probably make us think about using something other than that small little hauler.
Pingback: What the “roach coach” has to do with YOUR brand | Fast Track Tools Blog