John Ossa on What Consumers Want

Every month, our columnists give their take on a common topic. Last month they predicted what contractors could expect in 2011, and this month, it’s what consumers want.

John Ossa | January 2011
John Ossa Today’s consumer has an outlook that has been shaped by a number of economic and social influences. Foremost is a level of price consciousness that has heightened during the past two-plus years due to the implosion of the national economy. Consumers in all sectors, whether commercial-institutional, public sector, residential and resort, are extremely conscious of price.

Consumers who want to engage about price are far more conscientious about analyzing what goes into a proposal and are more diligent about seeking metrics that will verify the return on the investment. In other words, they want to understand the true cost of ownership of the product or service and parse the difference between price and value.

To even get to the table and have an opportunity for a proposal and price discussion, reliability and a good reputation are requirements. These qualities go hand in hand, have always been important and remain the entry point for any vendor. What goes into these qualities can be summed up by the simple mantra of  “do what you say you are going to do, when you say you will do it.”

A notion that has changed in recent years, and has evolved as a result of free trade practices, is the idea that quality always costs more. Today’s consumer does not necessarily believe that quality always costs more, and, in fact, other industries have begun to demonstrate that quality products and services can be available at highly competitive prices. This new awareness on the part of the consumer is leading green industry service companies to sharpen and refine their service delivery, while squeezing every drop of excess cost out of their production.

Another requirement for today’s consumer is speed of execution. It may be a reflection of the notion of “time poverty” that is becoming more prevalent in our society, but, once the buying decision is made, the consumer wants it now.

Also, once you are under contract, there is an expectation that as a vendor you will be proactive about identifying problems or situations that require remedy and bring forward solutions to the issue. It is a real source of irritation for the customer to have to bring an issue forward for resolution, when the topic at hand is in your area of expertise.

In a market that is price driven, yet expects quality, reliability, speed of execution and comprehensive solutions, there is a premium on being able to differentiate your service or product.

Consumers are bombarded with information – the challenge is to rise above the noise. 

The business that will gain traction with consumers is one that makes its strengths tangible, creates a sense of immediacy and connects with that customer and clearly communicates a true understanding of the customer.


John Ossa owns Irrigation Essentials, a web-based irrigation consulting firm. See www.irrigationessentials.com; mail ossa@gie.net.
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