Today’s post comes from Bridgz Director of Production Services Denise Maher-Gall.
Many of the articles that have been posted on this blog have talked about the customer experience from a consumer’s perspective. 
The customer experience is top of mind for most businesses, or at least it should be, and one would think it would be top of mind in the B2B sector as well. However, I find that isn’t always true.
Recently, I was invited to tour a local commercial printer. The sales rep was adamant that they were the perfect supplier for our business, boasting about being customer-centric and a leader as a marketing print supplier. They had an impressive list of capabilities: litho and digital printing, automated finishing and mailing expertise. In addition to their equipment list, their services included analytics, marketing and solutions for cross-media business.
During the tour, the sales rep anxiously escorted us to the mailing department to show off an oversized brochure that was being inserted for one of his clients. It was beautiful – high-quality images, UV printing and a blind emboss on the cover.
“Wow,” I said. “This piece definitely costs a fortune to print, not to mention the cost for additional postage.” As I watched the finished pieces get trayed for mailing, curiosity got the best of me and I asked the question, “What is your client’s objective of this mailing, and who is the target audience?”
His immediate response was, “I don’t know, we just print it.” I was disappointed by his response, not only because he and his company boasted about their capabilities beyond their equipment list, but also because the sales rep didn’t even have a conversation with his customer on the project beyond the print specifications.
After taking this tour, did I come away with the impression that this company does high-quality print work? Absolutely. Will I do any business with them? Probably not. The truth of the matter is I don’t need another high-quality printer to add to our supplier list; we already have great printers. What I’m looking for is a partner that understands the business my company engages in on a daily basis and can provide solutions that support the ink on paper.
Tagged: customers, organizational philosophy
