Concentrate On Your Core Business Function

In the taxi on my way to work today, I chose to take the back seat. It has nothing to do with the fact that back in school, I was always a back bencher, I wish it did though! My reason is quite simple, the loud sound systems of most taxis are strategically positioned at the front, next to the driver, for his enjoyment of course. Then there will also be those days when you are blessed with a chatty driver who will insist on you contributing to his thoughts on the ‘faults’ of other road users that he encounters. Don’t get me wrong, a simple greeting and exchange of pleasantries is always welcome, but let it stop at that, I have way too much to catch up with in my chamber of thought.

So on this particular morning, taking precaution, I settled in at the back, far away from the already blaring radio speaker. Soon the taxi was full and everybody went about scrawling through their phones. Music, email, videos, you name it, this taxi was filled with the mobile millennials and I was glad that they all had the supporting accessories to ensure their own, self’s, personal, individual (…and I could go on!) engagement. I just can’t stand a public transport user who plays their, (usually cheap) sound devices at maximum volumes with no regard for other travelers’ privacy, but that’s an entirely different story for another day.

So along the way, this lady seated right in front of me, to gets to her stop and frantically endeavors to have the taxi attendant notify his boss to stop the vehicle. The music loud as ever, his head wandering out of the window for the next passenger, her screams go unnoticed. Its a few meters off her desired stop before we come to a halt, and the anger was evident on her face. She promised never to board this particular taxi again. I have made (to myself), the exact same vow on a number of occasions, all it ever achieves is elevate my urge to become a car owner.

If you are in the business of serving people like every single one of us all, please pay close attention to some key incidents in this. The taxi, the radio, the passenger’s call for a stop, and the taxi tout’s attention on the outside world.

It is these incidents that form the theme of my topic; core business functions.

Every business venture out there is characterized by distinct features and functions, the core function of a taxi, or any other transportation service is simply that; transportation. That for a security company, is that; security, that for saloon is that; hair care. Many business people, in a bid to go the extra mile, find themselves getting drawn into activities that not only add no form of value to their customers, but make their services more costly, less profitable (to themselves), and in some cases, drive potential clients away.

Take this taxi tout for example, all that we as his clients ask is for him to get us to our destination, safe and in time. I have never encountered a public transport passenger, in their right mind, complaining that a particular taxi lacks a functional radio. I have however heard many complain about loud radios, uncomfortable chairs, the delays along the way, reckless driving and many other issues.

This leads us to the moral of the story today: what is the core function of your business.

For most, they are quite obvious as mentioned earlier, but for others, you would need to do some self-contemplation before learning what exactly it is, you might even need to ask you clients to help you identify them.

Once you have successfully identified your core business functions, shift your focus towards achieving and impressing in these fields.

A saloon owner, who in a bid to distinguish herself from the competition, shifts her focus from styling client’s hair in the trendiest way possible, to say, offering digital television to waiting clients, or head massages (I have never understood that one, I came over for a bloody haircut, and now you are massaging my head!), is plainly getting it wrong.

Interestingly enough, all that this serves to do scale up your expenditures or make your services more costly. I would prefer to visit a barber who knows how to style my hair, even if I have to wait on him with no form of entertainment. Once again, I have never encountered a client at a saloon complaining about the lack of some form of entertainment, if ever they do, have them visit a video hall as they wait!

This should however not be confused with value addition and exquisite customer care. Take the taxi tout for example, added value and increased satisfaction for his passengers can be achieved by regularly servicing his vehicle, replacing worn shock absorbers, washing his vehicle regularly, and driving carefully. For the saloon owner, it could be offering training for staff to increase their skill levels, ensuring safety through sterilizing equipment and offering a simple wash after the haircut. (Notice the relationship with the core function.)

A guiding factor in deciding what to do to add value for your clients is to start by identifying your core business function, and them asking yourself what you can do to better you customers’ experience in regard to that function. As a teaser for you, try to identify many random businesses, identify their core business functions, and then come up with ideas on increasing satisfaction and adding value, for those particular business, answer this in the comments section.

@WoofyMatt