It’s gotten to the point where change is almost ubiquitous. Instead of worrying about the speed of change, we should be taking a close look at what is staying the same. Instead of righteously defending the current system, we should constantly ask how we can make it better.
I recently had an enlightening conversation with the owner of a successful retail catalog business. She related a call she had handled from a man asking why he was being charged for shipping and handling on his order. It’s a good question. If picking and shipping the product that he ordered is a core part of the business, why itemize it on the invoice? The most likely reasons are habit, tradition, and the perception that it is normal.
At one time, the Shipping and Handling line item was standard in most industries. Now, it’s probably better to show the customer the full purchase price rather than having hidden costs appearing later on his invoice. The owner is seriously researching the issue and my prediction is that the company will change the process that has been in place for 30+ years.
Customer 3D organizations are re-visiting all of their traditional ways of doing business from the customers’ viewpoint – before customers question it themselves. It’s long overdue.
