CircuiTree - August 2008 - (Page 35)

[ View From the Middle ] By Steven Williams Delighting the Customer— One Company That Gets It n the last installment of this prolonged series on lean, I talked about the importance (and beneﬁts) of having a good Voice of the Customer (VoC) program in place within your organization. This column will focus on the beneﬁts portion of that equation by highlighting one company that truly gets it, a small neighborhood company called The Barbershop (www.thebarbershops.net). I will take you through a typical The Barbershop experience from a guy’s point of view, which is important in this case because the customers are exclusively guys. I The haircut itself is unhurried and thorough, the opposite end of the spectrum from the low-cost salons that process you through with assembly line efﬁciency and a perfunctory regard for quality. Every minute detail is addressed, with the standard service including a beard/mustache, eyebrow, ear, and neck trim. After your cut is complete, a steaming hot towel is used to wipe off any stray hairs from your face and neck. and the bargain speed-cut shops can’t touch that price either, even after factoring in a sizable tip for your favorite The Barbershop stylist. All the stylists have personal business cards, so making an appointment with your favorite stylist is quick and easy (like my favorite, Ashley!). The Concept I had the opportunity to speak with Todd Degner, co-owner of The Barbershop chain in the Fox Valley, about the origin of the concept. He said the idea originated out of his dissatisfaction with getting his hair cut at the traditional women-centric hair salon, and he began thinking about all the things he would change about the experience if it were up to him. He began asking anyone who would listen—“Imagine getting your hair cut at a place with hardwood ﬂoors, TVs, and men’s magazines; a place that offered an extended line of salon services with a personal touch, all for 10 bucks.” After the initial laughter stopped, friends and family helped ﬁne tune the idea to the point where Todd felt he had something solid. Todd said the only remaining obstacle was “selling it to my wife,” and I believe I speak for all the customers of The Barbershop when I say that we are eternally grateful that he apparently was successful. The Barbershop is validation to all of the lean preaching I have done over the past two years; and that attitude, vision, and execution are the cornerstones of delighting the customer. Todd and The Barbershop are proving on a daily basis that exceeding customer expectations is ultimately more proﬁtable when you factor in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and reputation. Nicely done, Todd! ■ The Barbershop The company advertises itself as “a hair salon for men,” and from the minute you walk through the door it is pleasantly apparent that The Barbershop is serious about living up to that motto. The waiting area is a spacious, uncluttered area that surrounds you in rich earth tone colors and hardwood ﬂoors. There is a big screen plasma HDTV on the wall (usually tuned into ESPN), a barrel of peanuts for your munching pleasure, cold bottled water, and fresh coffee to occupy you during your short wait for service. And the best part? Large, overstuffed leather chairs and guy magazines everywhere you look; not a Cosmo in sight! Most of us guys make an effort to get to The Barbershop early just so we can relax in these surroundings. Figure 1 With Remote in Hand, Steve Prepares for a Haircut With His Favorite The Barbershop Stylist, Ashley The Service When it is time for your service, a stylist leads you back to his or her station, and you are immediately handed a remote to operate your very own personal LCD TV for your viewing pleasure (Figure 1). Another point most men appreciate is that once you sit down, you don’t have to get back up again until you are done. There is no “let’s go over to this station to wash your hair, then we will come back here to cut your hair” stuff, everything is done at the stylist’s station while you enjoy the cable program of your choice. After your haircut is complete, the stylist washes your hair while you relax with another steaming hot towel over your face (keeping your eyes clear, of course, for uninterrupted TV viewing). This is followed by your choice of a blow dry and/or gel finishing style, and, for good measure, your stylist will wipe you down with a lint brush to avoid those embarrassing little hairs that always seem to pop up all over your clothes during your afternoon meetings. The final touch of guy heaven comes when your stylist straps on an industrial size vibrating massager and gives you a good old fashioned neck and shoulder barber massage! And, just like when you get your oil changed, the service includes follow-up neck and ear touchups between cuts. Now for the very best part: All of these services will cost you a grand total of 10 bucks! Every time I use my wife’s hair stylist, I can expect to pay conservatively triple that Steven Williams is the CEC commodity manager for Plexus Corp (Neenah, Wis.), where he is responsible for strategic materials management and tactical support of the CEC supply base. Email: steve.williams@plexus.com circuitree.com • August 2008 35 http://www.thebarbershops.net http://circuitree.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CircuiTree - August 2008

CirciuTree - August 2008 Contents My Line Industry Review Tech Talk Flexible Thinking Creating Connections Between Electronics Design and Manufacturing Happy Thoughts View From the Middle Market Outlook Fein Lines IPCA Showcase Technical Product Spotlights Classified Ads Upcoming Events Ad Index Buyers Guide

CircuiTree - August 2008

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