The pigeon hole effect

The pigeon hole effect

Much like ourselves, many companies offer a diverse range of products and services. Whilst this selection can potentially attract a larger audience, the customers that you have can, over time, begin to pigeon hole you into one particular product or service.

Here at Spicer International we find that new customers may trial us by using our UK distribution services; they’ll get us to send a box to Bristol or a pallet to Plymouth, just to experience the quality of our service. They are nearly always very impressed and continue to use us for their UK distribution.

The strange pigeon hole effect comes next. When challenged for additional business the response is more often “Oh, I didn’t know you did international”, or despite them visiting our warehouses (which are filled with 100’s of different clients products which we pick and pack) the reply is “I didn’t know you did fulfilment or storage”

But why would they? How many times have you walked down the high street and not noticed a particular shop until you needed it? When you go shopping at the supermarket, don’t you find yourself ignoring the vast array of goods only to buy the same foods week-in week-out?

People are creatures of habit; they will get used to using you for one particular role. It is your responsibility to remind them what other products or services they could buy from you. Don’t sit there expecting them to know – call them and educate them yourself.

I ship from UK to Australia and have found the level of service I receive from Spicer International to be beyond compare, but almost as remarkable is that they are able to do this at extremely competitive rates! Who said you can’t have it both ways?
Andy Graham