Check out Blinksale if you need a tool for your small or medium business to improve the quality and process of sending invoices. It is great idea that could help your business save time and money by conducting your client invoicing online. However, if you are still "old school" you can just print and send these ready made templates via snail mail.
We are traveling as family this week and are enjoying the snow and skiing in Vail, Colorado. We are staying at a resort that prides itself on service (the resort will remain nameless) and it had a few operational flaws with regard to ski rental service that reinforced my notion of operational surveys. Several people (10 new customers) in the course of the 1 hour we were there expressed dissatisfaction with the process and specifically the lack of one to get your ski gear rented and onto the slopes.
When I asked the Manager about the matter he replied "oh, we get that comment all the time." Obviously, I replied "then why haven't you done something about it?" He said "people figure it out." Does your business assume that your customers will "figure it out" or are you proactive about reviewing feedback (ideally this type of feedback could show up on customer surveys on a quarterly basis) and fixing operational flaws to improve customer satisfaction and ultimately improve bottom line results?
If not, it clearly hurts your customers perception of your business and will more than likely affect sales and credibility. What operational improvements have your customers demanded lately? They might not always be right but they must always be thoughtfully considered instead of turning a blind eye to them.
What 3 operational issues got in the way of maximizing your business returns in 2006? Sit down with your team and discuss. Agree on the 3 major issues. Develop a list of solutions to improve each challenge in 2007. If you really work with your team on this exercise you will reap tremendous benefits this year that could improve your bottom line.
Operations Thought:
Past operational success or failure should be chalked up as an experience. Use the lessons you have learned in 2006 as a guidepost, not a final hitching post.
This category will continue to include a variety of facts, topics, and questions to help your organization think about its operations and potential ways to maximize results.
