Unique, Original Ways To Provide Value To Your Customers

By Mitchell Kane, President and GM, Vanderbilt Industries

Too often while walking a trade show floor, we’re caught up in the technology “price race to the bottom” — who has more megapixels, who can integrate with more partners, or who can manage the most access points. But in the race to be the best, many manufacturers can get caught up in the competition and forget about the main component in creating a successful business: customers. True service is rooted in the notion that organizations must provide significant value to customers in a number of ways.

Nurture partnerships. Integrator and technology partnerships tell a lot about a manufacturer and how easy the company is to work with in the short and long term. Nurturing and bolstering a wide variety of strategic relationships can go a long way in providing added value to customers that are searching for solutions that work well with the systems they already have in place. Not only does this show the customer that an organization cares about their needs, it also lets the integrator know that they are an integral part of the buying and installation process, which can have a trickle down effect on their direct relationships with end users.

Engage directly with customers. While working with integrator partners is crucial in this business, so too is nourishing relationships directly with the customer. Being able to sit down with both an integrator and a customer helps encourage the delivery of a solution that can truly meet their needs, and provides valuable insight into how a manufacturer can work to improve functionality and feature sets for future customers.

Listen. So many times, manufacturers deliver a product and that’s the end of the relationship. However, after a product is installed and has been in use for a while, the most valuable information can be gathered. Listening to concerns or what is working well gives manufacturers a way in which to improve upon both hardware and software configurations to better meet the needs of current and future customers.

Go beyond basic training. It’s crucial to offer customers training when implementing a new product, whether it’s a Web-based tutorial or an in-person session. However, as updates are introduced or features are enhanced, continued training becomes crucial to adding additional value for customers. Webinars geared toward these existing customers or administrators can address common questions that might arise and allow these individuals a forum to do so.

Be consistent. In this business, consistency is key. When our customers need upgrades or new solutions, there are a hundred other access control providers waiting in the wings to fill in the gap if our products aren’t up to par. Being a trusted and consistent partner with customers and integrators helps ensure that when the need arises, you are the first manufacturer that they will go to supply those updates. Additionally, consistency can mean the difference between a relationship that lasts more than two decades and one that doesn’t make it past the initial installation process.

Do more than simply support. Our job doesn’t stop when an installation is complete. For us, that’s when the relationship begins. The manufacturer that stops looking at themselves as simply a provider of products goes much further when they begin to see themselves as a quality customer support organization that just happens to manufacture the products they offer. The seismic shift in that way of doing business adds immense value to the customer because they know that first and foremost, the services they’re receiving are second-to-none.

Mitchell Kane serves as President of Vanderbilt Industries, overseeing all aspects of the business. Mr. Kane has more than 30 years of experience in the security industry, a founding partner of Integrated Access Systems/Geoffrey Industries, acquired by Ingersoll Rand in 2003. In 2012, Vanderbilt Industries was formed as an access control/CCTV business unit spin-off from Ingersoll Rand, and today, remains a global leader in creating state-of-the-art security systems.