A Different Breed

This branding thing is really getting to me. It’s crazy just how deep you have to go in order to understand your own company. What is your offering? Why it is different? Which customer would choose your service apart from anyone else’s? Isn’t one chauffeur company the same as another?

Let’s face it, if you get the basics right then everything else falls in to place. The customer simply wants a clean, comfortable car to arrive on time that will take them to their destination safely. Ideally, they would also like a pleasant, courteous driver who understands their needs and who can engage in some (intelligent) conversation if required.

In some ways, chauffeuring is all about upholding tradition - opening the door the right way, keeping the car smooth and being attentive to the passenger’s needs. We do all that! Everyone says we provide outstanding customer care as part of our service but I have to ask, does it make us different to anyone else?

It has taken time to understand what separates us from the crowd. I’ve come to the conclusion it is how we provide such outstanding service at such an average price. That means the remaining issue is how to make cloud computing, lean principles and intrinsic quality sound sexy or appealing to a customer?

Hi Ho Silver

Over the last six months we have been working with a branding specialist. His job has not been easy. His first meeting with us revealed big differences of opinion within our team. We managed to overcome this and met him again. The second time was almost productive until we found our core values were misaligned.

Every meeting we had raised more questions. Eventually it felt like a counselling session rather than a productive meeting. We didn’t make progress at the rate we expected and bigger uncertainties were becoming soul destroying. A brand identity looked ever further distant and increasingly confused.

This week, the branding specialist reported he could no longer work with us. He felt stifled and it was not constructive. I was disappointed. Then I was angry. Then I was determined to prove him wrong. Then an emotion I hadn’t felt for a long time appeared.

Now I’m not sure what that emotion really is but the first time I felt it was as a six year-old watching science-fiction on 1980’s TV. It’s hard to explain but suddenly, the emotional connection we couldn’t find is definitely here. Better still, what we need to do next is crystal clear and ridiculously sensible.

Making Progress

A month ago I wrote a blog asking whether or not now was a good time to start spending. With so much publicity at the moment pointing toward weak economic growth it is hard to judge. However, if we want to grow then we need to invest.

In April, we decided to start with some small expenditure. First on the list was replacing our ageing IT equipment and gladly we found some great deals available! We bought business machines for our Duty Manager’s along with some netbooks at a superb price and the spec was impressive too. It noticeably improved our productivity.

Next we looked at our online booking system and wanted maximum gain for minimum cost. The answer was to improve the mobile phone interface our driver’s use. We updated access permissions and menu options which delivered faster communication and improved the information drivers received.

The effect of this spending spree has not just reduced time for us but it has instilled a belief that we can improve other areas. In particular we are reviewing our marketing and questioning what effect that would have on sales?

Can You Feel It?

Ok, so we’ve developed a fantastic online booking system, we’ve got our own quality standards, we’re more efficient than any other supplier in the market place, we’ve got a great team of people, we’re incredibly competitive on cost and we communicate with the absolute minimum of resources. So why aren’t we gaining more business?

In the early years, we didn’t have a marketing budget or the technical resources we have today but, we gained business – and not just small accounts. Our client list contains an impressive number of multi-national companies who spend thousands with us every year. Somehow though, we lost something along the way and we struggled to understand what?

This week I had a passenger who had just visited a Toyota plant - I’ve digested all the books on their history, read how lean was introduced to them, I know the struggles they went through and I’ve consumed plenty of literature on how they developed their culture. Without doubt they are rated as one of, if not THE number one manufacturing company in the world. We follow lots of their management principles and operate as a lean company!

Then the penny dropped! Toyota is incredibly efficient at making cars and they have outstanding quality in the manufacturing processes but would I buy one? Well, no! The reason is I love cars but the issue is that Toyota doesn’t create an emotional connection with me as a brand! So why have we struggled to grow in the last couple of years? Simple – we remembered to tell people how good we are but we forgot to tell them just how passionate we are about doing what we do.