“PICK TWO”…But Why?

A long standing notion has existed in the world of selling goods and services is that you just can’t have it all – QUALITY, PRICE and SERVICE – you know “pick two”. And when you really think about it, there is more truth to that notion than there needs to be, but why?

Somewhere along the line it got figured out that we as consumers are predominately weak, we settle for convenience not quality. We want things cheap and disposable, and waiting for someone to complete a task for us can wait until they are good and ready. All sound familiar? Of course it does. We are surrounded by it, much by our own doing.

Our marketplace has become a fast and furious mix of technology, media and fluff all vying for our attention and the elusive all mighty dollar. Often we are lucky to even receive one of the 3…you remember, “Quality, Price and Service“.

But Service should not be optional. Service should be a part of everything we do as a business, not a bonus reserved for specific customers. If service becomes a fundamental core of our business, the remaining options for consumers are Quality and Price, as seen in this example:

• Customer A buys a Widget for $100 that will last 1 year (choosing Price)
• Customer B buys a higher quality Widget for $500 that will last 10 years. (choosing Quality)
• Both customers spend money and both should receive the same friendly, courteous Service

As consumers we have control over these factors with the choices we make when spending. As professionals, we must offer good service to our customers whenever they choose to spend money with us. Service is a factor that each of us can control in our own businesses, taking the extra time for our customers or even co-workers, making others feel like you genuinely care.

Think of companies that are service oriented such as UPS. Their drivers are personable, helpful and efficient, that is Service at its core. By taking a few extra minutes to be more personable, address the needs of our customers and go above and beyond, this makes us more valuable in the eyes of our customers and clients, something that has a value beyond the dollars that we seek.

We can all make a difference in our world, one small encounter at a time, and who knows, one day we may be able to just say, “pick one” because Service is not optional!

Tom O’Connor has over 12 years experience in the promotional advertising product marketplace. He has 15 years previous experience in restaurant/hotel hospitality management and marketing. A member of the Advertising Specialty Institute, the research and marketing leader in the promotional product industry. Tom is partnered with High End Concepts, Inc. headquartered in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

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