Adding Value

[Tony King]

interesting point made by our provider of pick and pack for e commerce customers - they will add a hand written note to the order if it is a present for direct delivery! Its a nice personal touch that makes that parcel special!

 

[Blood Lust]

interesting point made by our provider of pick and pack for e commerce customers - they will add a hand written note to the order if it is a present for direct delivery! Its a nice personal touch that makes that parcel special!

I struggle to see why this is a benefit to customers. It adds no value to the service and soaks up employee productivity which could be more effectively used somewhere else. Customers dont place orders because of hand written notes attached by the supplier, they buy products or services which meet their needs.

I would advise drawing a value chain map of everything you do and removing all processes which add no value to the customer. It will reduce your costs.

 

[Tony King]

Actually - it is a USP - attracts business and has proved exceptionally popular. The higher end margin goods: perfumes, high end cosmetics, etc., - actually use this service as a selling point on their websites. I agree that for low margin household goods it is of now value - but that is not our market.

 

[Blood Lust]

Actually - it is a USP - attracts business and has proved exceptionally popular. The higher end margin goods: perfumes, high end cosmetics, etc., - actually use this service as a selling point on their websites. I agree that for low margin household goods it is of now value - but that is not our market.

From a marketing perspective you can sell by appealing to ego. If the customers are getting an ego kick (a need to be satisfied) out of buying top of the range smellies which come with hand written notes then that would work. It would depend on how many of your customers are like that. You'll know your market better than me.

 

[Tony King]

Fair point - it may well be an ego thing - but we have also had some charming replies from the end user - and yes I struggle to see why! Its an interesting 'service' - surprised the hell out of me but it had added business!

 

[fisicx]

So have you actually tested this? Have you seen an increase in returning customers since doing the handwritten thing?

My wife got something through the post the other day that had a small note. It was scruffy and had a spelling mistake. Can you be sure your provider is producing the sort of high qulaity notes your customers will appreciate?

 

[Blood Lust]

Fair point - it may well be an ego thing - but we have also had some charming replies from the end user - and yes I struggle to see why! Its an interesting 'service' - surprised the hell out of me but it had added business!

It does sound like the notes satisfy ego needs (status, self esteem, etc). I think you're getting positve feedback from those who like being elitest. I'd test if it gets you more customers and if so then adopt.

 

[Tony King]

Tested in a way - polling responses - and capturing repeat business details. It is an option the customer clicks! and adds their personal wording - our operatives then write the note. It is on a reasonable quality card (with motif) and i can assure you the spelling is correct. I cannot say the same for the spelling of the customers!

 

[Blood Lust]

So have you actually tested this? Have you seen an increase in returning customers since doing the handwritten thing?

My wife got something through the post the other day that had a small note. It was scruffy and had a spelling mistake. Can you be sure your provider is producing the sort of high qulaity notes your customers will appreciate?

It makes the service more visable to customers and that does mean more chance of something going wrong - Wrong name on note, spelling mistakes or scruffy handwriting as you say, etc.

 

[Blood Lust]

Tested in a way - polling responses - and capturing repeat business details. It is an option the customer clicks! and adds their personal wording - our operatives then write the note. It is on a reasonable quality card (with motif) and i can assure you the spelling is correct. I cannot say the same for the spelling of the customers!

With repeat business many of your customers will be buying the performs as birthday presents. A trick I know about is asking if its for a birthday, noting the date the order was placed and a couple of weeks before the same date next year contact the customer.

Explain they brought from you last year and ask if they want to order again.

 

[Newchodge]

It makes the service more visable to customers and that does mean more chance of something going wrong - Wrong name on note, spelling mistakes or scruffy handwriting as you say, etc.

trouble is, spelling mistakes can always creep in!

 

[Tony King]

Excellent point - I will add that to our processes - thanks for that!

 

[Food From Cyprus]

I think that the 'personal touch' is an interesting idea even though it has a cost attached to it. It would be interesting to see what percentage of extra/repeat business you get in the future.

 

[RainWolf]

interesting point made by our provider of pick and pack for e commerce customers - they will add a hand written note to the order if it is a present for direct delivery! Its a nice personal touch that makes that parcel special!

Well, you are giving your customers something to talk about. This means repeat business, as well as referrals.

You can probably find additional things you can do to make your market love you more. Personally, I'd like to commend you for not being just another online vendor. This is what it takes to build a business that can actually dominate a market and obliterate competition.

 

[Tony King]

Thanks for the kind words - as they say we aim to please! We pick and pack - but with the personal touch - if our customers products thrive - we thrive!

 

[kelvin1950]

trouble is, spelling mistakes can always creep in!

Indeed. LOL!

With repeat business many of your customers will be buying the performs as birthday presents.

 

[Peanut Butter Man]

I receive lots of parcels and really don't bother looking at any of the now increasing junk in the packaging unless my item is wrong..... Im sick of getting the Graze sample box stuff.. If you want to do this, and I agree it would be a nice touch, put the handwritten note in a card and send by normal mail... (For customers who spend over a certain amount)... and make sure the eastern European employee can write English or the zero contract hours employee doesnt use it as a way to let your 'special' customer know just what they 'FINK OV U'

 

[Tony King]

Very good wholesale!!! The card may be a nice touch - we operate a profit share scheme - obviously carefully managed - and that seems to get the buy in from our colleagues. Team Effort, Team Rewards - and we do have exceptionally high productivity and accuracy - and i may add some very good spellers!!! As for the sample box - NO! unless our customers want us to do it - I try and discourage this as it adds hidden costs.

 

[Peanut Butter Man]

Go one step further and build a link between the person in the business and the customer. As part of my new venture (peanut butter company) to be launched soon the pots will have a section on the label 'Packed by' and the name of the person 'Tony' for example... My website may well have a 'meet the team' and there will be a pic of Tony... Im not sure if this will benefit the business (Im thinking yes) but I will test the feedback along the line. Maybe you could do something similar

 

[Tony King]

I would not recommend a Picture of me - i think it would put people off!!! But in principal I think the personalisation of product - linking the end user should bring a kind of brand loyalty if they feel an emotional attachment to it. Its sort of like the Fair Deal branding - people feel they are helping an individual rather than a company. I guess its all about making a difference - having that unique selling point that gives you an edge.

We try and work with our customers to make their product different - however, there are only so many ways you can pick and pack orders! For us its about costing correctly (understanding the man hour involved) and on time service. With the instant expectation we find our customers want later and later cut off times for next dat delivery. We have moved more towards a night operation that a day one. Poll the orders up until Xpm - then pick and pack and despatch!