As I anticipated and predicted months ago, stone fabricators are busy. High customer demand without sound processes will almost certainly lead to chaos and aggravate the entire team. Taking ownership implementing the right systems and educating your customers on the frontend would be wise and well worth the investment. We all know how much it hurts when a customer’s expectations are different from reality. The benefits of a “trained” customer are numerous. The biggest advantage is a job that is completed efficiently without delays. The entire team will be appreciative they can perform their jobs without any friction points or questions. However, the long-term gains from a “happy customer” experience will provide long-term value and returns.
I was always very proud of the business model my team and I built over the years. One of the unique characteristics of our company was a $10 million direct consumer channel of annual business that required almost $0 marketing dollars. This highly desirable channel of business was extremely profitable and cost almost nothing to acquire, other than a massive stable of “happy customers” who loved to boast about their experience working with our company.