I wrote this after re-reading an old Harvard Business Review article.
Sian tells me not to read these things because I immediately start overthinking everything. But this one just confirmed something I’ve been thinking for a long time.
Clients don’t need to be delighted, they just need things to work.
What builds customer loyalty
The article is based on a large piece of research into customer service, and the main takeaway is that clients don’t become loyal because you ‘delight’ them. They leave when you make things difficult. It’s not about going above and beyond, it’s about removing hassle and stress.
We don’t really remember the over-the-top moments, but we do remember when something was confusing, slow, or harder than it needed to be. Often people don’t give you feedback, they just quietly walk away.
What this means for charities
All of our work at Ginger and Tall is with charities and purpose-driven organisations, and this is very true. Our clients don’t want or need theatre or overcomplicated processes. They want graphic design that helps them do their job properly.
That could be a report that’s easy to follow, a campaign that people understand first time, or a website that makes sense to the users. None of that is about creating a ‘wow’ moment. It’s about making things easier for the people on the receiving end.
How we approach our work
Getting to that point takes a bit of work (on our side). We spend a lot of time understanding what a client is trying to do, who they’re talking to, and what needs to happen as a result. We ask the right questions.
We do that because if that thinking isn’t right, everything that follows becomes harder than it needs to be.
Once we’re clear, we get on with it.
No smoke and mirrors
We’re not big on theatre so no stilt walking or juggling (our friend Karen Chalk at Circus Eruption is good at that). And there are no big reveal moments or bubbles and dry ice.
We always want to deliver good, solid work that does what it’s meant to do.
Make it easy
The article talks about ‘customer effort’ as the thing that really drives loyalty. How easy or difficult you make it for someone to get what they need. That feels like a better way of looking at it.
So instead of asking how to impress people, we ask how do we make this easier.
In my rather long experience, especially working with charities, that’s where the real value lies – being clear, reliable and easy to work with.
We’d love to work with you
If you’re a charity or purpose-driven organisation and you’re looking for graphic design, that just works, we’re always happy to have a chat.
