This is an EMERGENCY EXPERTISE ASSURANCE CHECK. I repeat, an EMERGENCY EXPERTISE ASSURANCE CHECK.
Stop everything you are doing and answer two questions:
- What does my business claim to be an expert in?
- Is every product and service my business currently provides exemplary of this expertise?
If you can think of even just one product or service that is slightly deficient in an area that your business claims to be proficient, then you might want to consider pulling it and perfecting it before promoting it again.
The importance of the EMERGENCY EXPERTISE ASSURANCE CHECK came to my attention last week when I was finally given the opportunity to use a product created by a company that I believed to be the leader in its field for almost four years. The reputation of expertise and excellence was largely professed by the company through every single social media outlet via every type of medium, as well as traditional networking outlets from guest speaking on panels to issuing press releases. This company built its likability incredibly because it created fans that weren’t even users of its products – they just wanted to be on the brand’s band wagon. I should know – I was one of them.
One of them until last week that is, when I discovered the company was more of an expert at promoting its products than an expert in programming its products. A late day turned into an all-nighter because the product could not performed what it promised. The company’s customer service was kind in their issuing a genuine “sorry for the inconvenience” but it was I who was truly sorry for I lost faith in the product, the brand, the entire company, and the integrity of everyone who professed the greatness of these so-called experts.
Is it unfair that I responded in this way after one experience with only one of the company’s products? Yes. But let’s face it – my reaction is pretty much typical of the average customer. Therefore it is imperative that you run an EMERGENCY EXPERTISE ASSURANCE CHECK on your products and services to prevent a crippling gap between what you claim to be of your expertise and what you deliver as your expertise. Your product should be near, if not absolutely, perfect OR your self-promotion should be near, if not absolutely, silent.
A friend of mine decided to make a case for the aforementioned company as he is a huge fan of all their glorious accolades ( though he has never used their product…). He closed his argument with this statement: “I mean think about it, in the end what big company out there actually delivers a quality product?”
You bet I thought about it. Let’s see, this past weekend I built an appetite for a quick, cheap and greasy hamburger. The McDonald’s McDouble off the dollar menu cured the craving. This past weekend, I wanted to watch a football game that would be just as entertaining as its commercials and half-time show. The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers accomplished such. And this past weekend, I needed to stay warm for the duration of a power walk in chilling 5:00 am temperatures. An Under Armour wind-resistant jacket provided that exact protection.
The leaders of fast food, football and sportswear delivered. When these companies’ products and services don’t live up to their standards, they fix it or they lose their title. They know however, that they cannot claim proficiency and simultaneously produce deficiencies and continue to make money. You might keep the fans that buy into your publicity on expertise but not the ones that buy up your products of “expertise.”
Kristen Zatina is a writing specialist at entreQuest with an interest in everyday client experiences on which businesses can capitalize.
