[Seven Wisdoms of the Copy Shop Manager ①] Sincerely Addressing Customer Troubles
In the main article published the other day,
“The ‘Win-Win-Win Management’ Learned from a 10-Yen-a-Sheet Copy Shop Manager”
, I introduced the lessons learned from a manager who has run a small neighborhood copy shop for over 50 years as the “Seven Wisdoms.”
This is a commentary series that delves deeper into the “Seven Wisdoms” introduced in the main article from the perspective of a Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant.
This time, I will introduce 5 points regarding the first wisdom,
[Seven Wisdoms ①] Sincerely Addressing Customer Troubles
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If you haven't read the main article yet, I think it will be easier to understand if you read it first.
▼ Click here for the main article
[Point 1] The seeds of business lie in a customer's casual remark
The turning point for the manager's business was a casual remark from a student.
“Do you know anywhere around here where I can make copies?”
Whether to let this remark end as a mere question,
or to accept it as a sign of new demand.
This is where a manager's sensitivity shows.
Market opportunities are not just found in research reports.
They are found in the inconveniences of the customers right in front of you.
[Point 2] Do not cling to past successes
The manager's shop was not a copy shop from the beginning.
It was originally an electronics store.
Moreover, it was a business he inherited from his father and had nurtured himself.
Even so, seeing the demand from students for copies, the manager decided to change the business model.
Past success becomes a source of pride.
On the other hand, it can also cloud one's vision for seeing the next demand.
This manager was looking at the customer in front of him, not the past.
[Point 3] Demand appears small at first
The first person to come was just one student.
After that, that student brought a friend.
The reputation spread.
The number of students visiting the shop increased.
Demand does not always appear in a big way from the start.
A small inconvenience.
A small request.
Small word-of-mouth.
Whether or not you can notice these early on is the turning point for a business.
[Point 4] The more you narrow down your customers, the more clearly you see their troubles
The customers the manager faced were medical students.
He didn't try to sell to just anyone.
What do medical students struggle with before exams?
What kind of materials do they need?
When are they busy?
How do their needs change by grade level?
Because he narrowed down his customers, he could see their troubles deeply.
I believe that a focus strategy is not about narrowing the target, but about deepening customer understanding.
[Point 5] Business turning points begin with unexpected requests
For the manager, the student's request for copies was a request outside his main business.
Since it was an electronics store, he could have refused.
But the manager, wanting to help the student in trouble, responded without refusing.
As a result, the shop that was an electronics store eventually turned into a copy shop.
Unexpected requests can be troublesome.
However, new customer value is sometimes hidden within that trouble.
Business turning points may start from customer requests rather than business plans.
Summary
[Seven Wisdoms ①] Sincerely Addressing Customer Troubles
What we can learn from this wisdom is as follows:
Do not ignore a customer's remark.
Do not cling to past successes.
Do not overlook demand that appears small.
Narrow down your customers and understand them deeply.
Find new value within unexpected requests.
The manager was not using management terminology.
However, his actions were the very essence of customer-oriented management.
The origin of business was found within a small copy shop.
In closing
Next time, I will introduce the second of the “Seven Wisdoms”:
[Seven Wisdoms ②] Solving Inconveniences with Systems
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Students have the same troubles every year.
The same mistakes are repeated.
Time and money are being wasted.
The manager did not let this end as just a customer mistake.
From this, the copy shop changed from a mere copy service into an entity that supports students' exam preparation.
▼ Click here for “Seven Wisdoms of the Copy Shop Manager ②”
(End)
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In the main article, I introduce the “10-Yen-a-Sheet, Win-Win-Win Management” learned from the copy shop manager as a story. Please read it as well.
▼ Click here for the main article