Identifying Gaps in your Customer Value Delivery Chain

In today’s competitive world, having a great product is simply not enough.

Customers, today, look at much more than product quality or price while making ‘purchase’ decisions. They want their entire ‘buying’ experience to be a rewarding one – one that makes them feel valued.

As a business owner it is important to understand that customers look to ‘derive’ value not just from the product, but from the entire ‘experience’ that starts with the placing of an order and continues much beyond the actual delivery of the product or service – in the form of after-sales service and relationship management.

We call this the value-delivery chain

It is imperative, thus, for a business owner to take control of this value-delivery chain by identifying any gaps therein that might interrupt the smooth delivery of value to the customer.

Business owners must look at every aspect of their business – they believe customers might derive value from and ensure a ‘pleasant experience’ for the customer. One could even talk to existing customers to identify any such “gaps”.

What could influence customer value-delivery?

Though every business is unique, some of the areas which could influence the customer perception of value delivery include:

• shop aesthetic or the design of the website;
• ease with which an order can be placed;
• interactions between your customers and staff members;
• wait time for the delivery of a product or service or the resolution of a query or complaint;
• after-sales support and customer relationship management.

This applies for both online and offline businesses.

Sometimes a business might outsource one or more of these value-delivery activities to a third party.

For example a Pizza shop might outsource the delivery of their pizzas to a third-party.

In such a scenario it becomes imperative for the business owner to ensure that the outsourcing agency does not break the chain by delivering as promised.

You might be selling the best Pizzas in town; but if the outsourcing agency does not deliver on time you end up losing customers. After-all, no one likes to have their pizzas cold and mushy.

Thanks for your time!