This year, we’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into defining the ETE REMAN brand. With that came an earnest evaluation of our customer experience.
From shipping to sales, we strive to make each interaction unique to the ETE REMAN experience. We quickly realized that what we were sending out with our units was a sub-standard mishmash of inherited tags and out-of-date information.
So we set out to streamline, standardize, and, yes, brand our transmissions by updating the most elementary piece of our customer experience – the tags, installation instructions and core return information we send out with our units.
Some of you may think that we’re nitpicking. But, from a marketing, functional, and financial perspective, our materials were long overdue for a makeover.
What were some of the benefits of showing our unit information a little TLC?
It’s consistent.
One obstacle we encountered was that not every unit we send out is sold under the ETE REMAN name. Needless to say, it wasn’t as easy as slapping our logo on things and calling it a day. We had to be as subtle as the “b” in subtle.
So what did we do? We used graphic elements, type, and tone that are consistent with other ETE-branded materials. Our typeface (Gotham, for the typography nerds out there) is used on everything. Clean, graphic design wins over messy utilitarianism. And we slapped a thick coat of sass wherever applicable. Sure, it may not say ETE REMAN, but it sure does feel like it.
It’s functional.
You know what you call a warning tag that isn’t functional? A lawsuit. We don’t attach tags to our transmissions just because they look pretty. They’re meant to be read and followed in order to prevent injury or failure. But functionality and design don’t need to be mutually exclusive.
The result were tags that are informative yet succinct, and coupled with a design that gets attention. Not only that, but they’re made of a durable plastic material that won’t easily rip, fade, or bleed. Perfect for the shelves of a warehouse or the deepest, darkest recesses of the dirtiest shop.
It saves money.
Our ordering system was pretty much on autopilot. If we ran out of something we’d just call up our supplier and order a few thousand more. Sure, it was easy. But we never thought to take a step back and examine whether this really the best use of our resources.
The solution? Planning, standardized sizes, and larger runs of printed goods. By taking a look at the monthly average usage of each tag, sheet, bag, and ziptie, we could plan ahead and order 3-, 6-, or even 12-month quantities. Our tags are all the same size and material, which allows us to order one large lot of many different tags. This meant that we were paying significantly less per piece than we had been before.
It’s all part of the greater customer experience.
You’re probably asking how this very specific instance applies to your business.
Well, the thing about details is that they can make or break you. What you may see as minutiae, someone else may interpret as a deal-breaker. The devil really is in the details.
These things may seem trivial, but they’re part of your customer experience. In industries where the products are comparable in quality and value, that just may be the difference between a new customer and a missed opportunity.
So, take a look at your customer experience. All of those itty-bitty, insignificant, forgettable details may be negatively affecting the big picture that your customers are seeing.
Even superheroes need sidekicks. While she’s not quite ready to throw on the unitard and mini-cape just yet, Aimee Brock (aka Jill of All Trades) shares her expertise with readers in her third contribution to Reman University. Have you ever made a decision as a consumer based on some seemingly silly detail? She’d love to hear it! Share with Aimee via email.
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