In a world where you can buy your electronics at the grocery store and your groceries at the electronics store, the concept of one-stop shopping has never been more important. Customers demand it. And businesses line up to provide it.
The only problem: Some business models sacrifice a customer’s quality of service to give him or her a greater quantity of services. It’s a fine line, and it is glaringly obvious when it’s not walked carefully. But when it is, the benefits to the customer and the company alike are boundless.
In the dental industry, a full-service dealer possesses tremendous value. For instance, Patterson Dental offers products, training, service and technology and much more than can be listed here. Patterson products help dental offices make great impressions on patients and make their books. That level of service and understanding didn’t happen overnight.
How did we get to be one of the industry’s most trusted full-service dealers? Well, in terms of groceries and electronics, by not mixing up our apples and our iPods. We know your business. We know your customers’ needs. And we follow a few simple rules.
Learn.
Until you know your business and what your customers expect of you, there’s no way to be a full-service dealer. You can’t be a one-stop shop if you don’t know why your customers are stopping. Patterson’s roots in the dental industry date back more than 130 years – and that’s a lot of knowledge.
Take care of the customer.
Sounds simple, right? Almost too simple. But all too often, businesses lose sight of their focus by trying to do too much. Focus on your customers; give them what they want and do whatever you can to help them succeed. Taking care of the customer is Patterson’s first step to proving we will be a valuable long-term partner.
Become a partner.
Full-service dealers have the unique opportunity to take an active role in a customer’s success. A true full-service dealer sees customers’ day-to-day operations, listens to their goals and then helps make the plan to reach them. As a true full-service dealer, Patterson serves as an ambassador to your success. And it’s only possible by becoming one of your trusted partners.
Being a true full-service dealer has a lot of benefits. None of them, perhaps, brings us greater joy than watching our customers succeed.
Note: As 2011 comes to a close, we would like to pay tribute to Steve Jobs, who not only kept his apples and his iPods straight, he made Apple and iPods have meaning. His innovation continued up until the end, and his impact on the world will not soon be forgotten. Rest in peace.
Happy new year Dave