The workwear market faces a critical time. Researching LCN’s feature this month, consultant editor Nicholas Marshall sensed an unwillingness among rental operators to comment on the market, fearing perhaps to reveal too much to the competition.
The TSA confirmed his view of nervousness in the sector. Rental operators will need to adapt their services to a changing market, targeting them precisely at customers’ needs. Those who remain inflexible may find their businesses under threat.
The message is not new, nor does it apply just to the workwear sector. The need for fresh strategies and a willingness to follow different routes is a recurring theme in LCN.
There is no single answer to the problems of trading in a difficult economic climate and fiercely competitive market. But businesses need to scrutinise their operation. It may mean exploiting niche areas or tailoring services to suit the situation.
Presented with problems, they need to take another angle, think positively and see if the weaknesses can be turned around so that they become advantages.
So, the customer doesn’t want product A because product B is cheaper. Ask if that really is the case. Has the customer ignored hidden costs, or is extra work involved? Would not product B lead to waste because it is mass produced and contains unwanted elements? Will it wear out more quickly, or be less acceptable to the end user? Such arguments on costs are often put forward succesfully – for example, in the ongoing debate on reusables versus disposable.
Could the original product or service be adapted to provide an answer to the customers arguments? Could it even include the supposedly preferred product, improved because it is now less wasteful, less time consuming or less hassle.
Customer complaints are another example of a situation that can be turned to businesses’ favour. That doesn’t mean kow-towing to unreasonable demands or being bullied. It means simply listening to the problem and trying to find a solution, even at a small cost.
Handle the situation well and the customer may become even more loyal to your business than before.
Finding a solution could even mean taking a completely different direction. Innovators do the whole market a service, not just themselves. They take risks. It may not work. If really successful the competition will follow, but then the originators have had the advantage of being ahead.
Traditions have value that should not necessarily be ignored. But doing what you did yesterday without thinking, because that’s what’s you’ve always done, may undermine that value.
The workwear market is not alone in facing a critical time. But ways to survival, even success can be found.
Think positively and eventually you may eliminate some, or even all of the negative.
Janet Taylor (jtaylor@wilmington.co.uk)
