Your customers will make mistakes. Unfortunately, we all make mistakes.
I’ve been working on an irrigation system for our garden which requires me to punch holes in the plastic tubing. This step in the process could be fraught with disaster. “What if I put the hole in the wrong spot?” “What if I change my mind later?”
The irrigation company foresaw these concerns and other potential challenges. To help compensate, they offer “Goof Plugs” that can be inserted into the tubing to seal an unwanted hole.
“Goof Plugs” are brillant for several reasons.
1. With a benign name like “goof”, this product doesn’t alienate customers. A “goof” softens the fact that you messed up and is easier to associate with than harsher terms like “mistake”, “screw up”, “failure”, or “disaster”.
2. If the customer buys these products in advance, which the manufacturer hopes, they can prevent that extra drive to the store when working in the middle of a project. A win for both the customer (saved time) and company (extra revenue).
3. When a customer goofs up and they have the “goof plugs”, they will be able to immediately breathe a sigh of relief and fix the mistake. Instead of a moment of anger, the problem is resolved and the customer leaves with a good impression of the product.
Ideally, you’d prevent the customer from making mistakes in the first place. However, this isn’t always possible. The next best thing is to have the corrective solution on-hand when the customer most needs it.
What “Goof Plugs” do you need in your business? How can you help your customers quickly overcome a mistake and move on?