Book review: kloteklanten 3.0 --> Damn those Customers 3.0 --> how do you become the most customer friendly organisation?

Usually I post screenshots and short summary's of books I read here at this blog, just for my own convenience, if I need to review something I can quickly find the things I need. Of course if I like these reads, others might also find it useful so that's also why I share it.

Sometimes I make extensive summary's and sometimes just some "picture screenshots".

Currently I am reading the book "Kloteklanten 3.0" roughly translated as 'Damn those customers 3.0" written by Egbert Jan van Bel, the author also lectures at Beeckestijn Business School and he has inspired me a lot when I attended his classes a few years ago.

Don't be fooled by the title of the book. It is a real inspirational book about customer centricity.
The subtitle of the book is: how to become the most customer friendly business of the Netherlands.

The book is in Dutch, and as I usually write in English at this blog, I will roughly translate some pages since this is a good book for everybody who believes in customer centricity, customer experience and a new way of marketing.

Did you already make a strategic description of your customer?

The customer definiton framework:

Roughly translated:

1. Is someone buying regularly with you? If someone just buys one time, it is not a customer but someone just passing by. 
2. does the customer pay you, and does he/she pays in time? If not it is a bad debt customer and it cannot be an active customer.
3. Do you make the desired profit margin per customer? If you want to achieve 10 % margin but a customer that regularly buys with you, only gives you 5%, also then it is not a customer, but a prospect and your effort should be to grow this customer from 5 to 10 %.
4. Is a customer recommending you? What are you doing to help your customers to recommend you? And who is doing this actively?

Short term or long term?

Roughly translated:

Most organisations in the Netherlands are market oriented. The most important question at sales meetings is :
How many customer did you get today? These models used, are from the 70's, 80's and 90's at the very best. Communication is mainly "push" focused.
The question should be: how much engagement did you realize today, is never asked.

The long term commercial strategy is under pressure due to the short term focus.
Marketing must do again what it started with back in the old days: creating a difference.
Only this time not at product level, but at the level of satisfaction/need.
Because with that, you create value for a customer.

Technology in daily life in China : a view from an expat

Since january 2018, I live and work now in Shanghai, China. Of course I had traveled to China a lot before, but now living here, makes you really experience life in China. I am really happy I got the opportunity to work here for a great company.
I am learning so many new things, enjoying China and I let myself be amazed everyday by the technology and transportation advantage they have here.
It is so impressive, they are way ahead of Europe and even the US.

Here in China, I really experience how technology and design thinking can make life much more easier.

Alipay

Take a look at Alipay, an app, I use almost every day and this app makes life so much more easy for me.I will explain some functions I use regularly.

Screenshot of my Alipay app

In the Netherlands (or Europe) we are used paying with "debit cards'' or sometimes a credit card. Here in China, I also have a debit bank card. But I used it only once and that was for connecting my bank account to Alipay. After that I never used it again. 99% of my payment transaction I do with Alipay.

If I want to pay in a physical shop with Alipay, I have two options:

I press the "pay" button at the Alipay app, a QR code appears at my phone and the cashier just scans this QR code. That's it, I have paid now. A confirmation will appear at my phone.

Or alternatively, if the cashier does not have a QR code scanner, I press the "scan" button in Alipay, and I scan a printed QR code. Usually every vendor has one. Alipay then asks me for the amount I want to pay, I type in the amount, press confirm and the payment is done. I show the vendor the confimation and I can walk away with my purchased goods.

After payment usually a screen pops up where you can "rate" the vendor. Good ratings help the vendor ranking higher in Alipay's promotional overview. A great idea, both good for vendor and buyer.

Alipay "are you satisfied" icons shown after payment

I think paying with Alipay is much easier and safer then paying with a debit card. It is so convenient.

I do not need extra cards in my pocket, that often get damaged in my pockets. Just my phone that I always have with me anyway.

RFID copying, a scam that often happens with debit cards, is not possible with this way of payment.
The QR code itself changes every 2 minutes or so, so it is also no use try to copy a QR code.

Often when my bankcard is broken, I have to wait 5 days before I receive a new one and if I want to sent a new one from Netherlands to China it never arrives (believe me I tried). Here with Alipay, all you need is a working phone. As long as I have a working phone I can pay with Alipay.




Yes, your phone battery can get empty, but in China you can charge your phone really everywhere.
Take this "Energy Monster" a device that you can find in many restaurants. Just scan the QR code (with Alipay) a menu pops up at your phone and you can choose to charge it for 1 hour for 1 RMB, pay connect your phone and charge! You can just put this device at your table and charge it.

Energy Monster

A fresh orange juice a day, paid with Alipay, keeps the doctor away!

But there are also in shopping malls special machines where you can just "borrow" a powerbank. All digitally.

Talking about machines.
As we all know, an orange juice a day, keeps the doctor away.

Here in China I always say: "a fresh orange juice a day, paid with Alipay, keeps the doctor away"

I regularly buy some fresh orange juice, at one of the many "fresh orange juice machines" that you have here in China. Also this I pay with Alipay. The machine generates a QR code, I scan this QR code, my Alipay app shows me the amount (15RMB) I press confirm and the machine get's a signal that I have paid and it starts making orange juice. No physical money needed, no bankcard needed. That's nice drinking :)

At the office we have a shelf where products are stalled. If I scan the QR code with Alipay a menu opens within Alipay with all products on the shelf. I simply select the product, buy it with 2 clicks and I have some food or drinks. Very convenient all from within the same interface.

Scan a QR code and buy the product.