Even Australians are not immune to trends. Many household decisions are made in response to what the media popularise as the hip thing to own. It might sound like something out of a ‘Black Mirror’ episode, this kind of mentality that one must own what one sees on the telly, but it is truly happening already.
It is not at all bad for the tiling industry, however. What used to be an industry that addresses needs now also caters to wants. And millennial owners want plenty. For your tiling business to thrive in such a landscape, you will need to do more than the bare minimum, particularly in these areas:
Quality
The outcrop of new competitors should tell you one thing: you need to step up unless you want your business to perish.
Along with the high demand from clients is an increased critiquing of the quality offered them. If they so much as see a speck on your tiles, they are off to move on to another, presumably better, company. This means updates on your processes, from ensuring sufficient diamond blade supplies to cutting tiles with as little dust produced as possible, to protect your business. It is no longer acceptable to have a weak link, especially if that weak part of operations can easily be seen in the finished product.
Delivery
A company without competition might become lax when it comes to checking their own quality. They do not have anyone to race against, which means customers do not have a choice. Such a monopoly is hard to imagine now, as competitors are everywhere and if you are known for delayed deliveries, you will not make it for much longer. It doesn’t matter how established your brand is either. Customers are not as loyal as they used to be and they will chalk up their switch to you being obsolete and unable to catch up to the demand. No one will compromise their money to stay with a company that has been given several chances to do better but keep refusing.
Customer Service
Delivery is but one aspect of customer service you need to double up on. From the initial stages of the transaction until the retention of a client, you should not slip up. The customers you are dealing with know that they hold the power, and if they take their business elsewhere, they will not suffer but you will. Also, remember that your tiling company supplies homeowners and builders, in which case people are also waiting for them to complete tasks before the deadline. Mediocre customer service on your part can lead to delays on their end, which will reflect poorly on them. Now, imagine what kind of business will be tolerant of that. As these people turn to trends, you will want to improve customer service to make timely decisions so that a build can be completed before trends have run their course.
Consequences multiply when you choose to ignore the weaknesses of your company. Refuse to improve and you will find there’s no room left for you in the industry.
