Exceptional customer service is not a destination; it is a process of evolving and becoming better. I seldom see a business that does everything right all the time.
At the beginning of this year, Kona Impact set out to improve all our processes, from our invoicing and billing systems to our project management and communications systems. We put everything on the table and tried to find ways to do them better. Most of the changes we made are not visible to our customers, but they help us plan, implement and bill our projects more efficiently.
One thing we did was move to a space that is more than twice as big as our old office. This allowed us to have a dedicated production room, and a lot more storage space. The additional personal and work space is great, and it allows us to meet one of our primary goals this year: same day and next day turnaround on many of our products.
We now keep more than enough inventory to allow us to fulfill almost all banner, foam core, PVC and aluminum sign orders in a day. This is what we would want as consumers, so we are trying to provide this to our customers.
Another thing we did was to expand our deliveries to clients. So, for example, a customer staying at a resort in the Waikoloa area can, if the order meets certain criteria, expect same or next day delivery on a print or sign order. A local client can expect us to drop off most orders the same or next day.download movie Everest 2015
Finally, we try to recognize companies that do an exceptional job at customer service. This might include a mention on our blog or writing a positive Yelp! or TripAdvisior review.
We hope that by observing others, we can learn and grow. Likewise, we strive to help new businesses by sharing what we have learned.
So, 2015 has given us some new ways to serve our customers better:
- More space and inventory to reduce production time and allow same and next day turnaround.
- Expanded delivery options.
- Focusing on learning and growing by implementing best practices we see with other businesses.
We’ve been meeting our goals most of the time, and have far exceeded them some of the time. Just last week we had a local restaurant bring in their large beer sign. We made a proof, got it approve, updated the sign and delivered it in less than 24 hours. We also put some vinyl signage on a local retailer the same day they requested it. Yesterday we had a consultant who needed several reports printed and bound that day. We did so and delivered them to the Mauna Lani, allowing her to spend two more hours enjoying her time in Hawaii instead of driving to Kailua-Kona and back.
Are we going to get everything right all the time? Certainly not. Are we going to learn from our mistakes and seek new ways of becoming more customer-centric? Absolutely.
Kona Impact has been helping new and established businesses on Hawaii Island for since 2006. We’ve seen boom and bust economies and have worked with hundreds of local businesses on their design and marketing needs.
Kona Impact | 329-6077