Branding

What is a brand? It originated a long time ago, when ranchers began marking their property (cattle, horses, etc.) with a sytlized mark indicating their ranch. It was taken very seriously – so much so that to mess around or take someone’s brand was a criminal offense, one that at the time could result in the death of the offender.

Our teams today have a brand in the sense that our customers have a perception of what and how we deliver service. How often have we heard a customer refer to technical support as the ‘no-help desk?’ That’s not a brand we want for our team!

We can cultivate a good brand by being clear and focused on the services we provide our customers. We need to deliver on what we promise, make no excuses, and always look for ways of improving our service delivery. A brand stands for what we do – when our customers think of technical support, do they immediatly think of calling us, or do they try everything else and only call us as a last resort?

Think about the great brands in technology. Google is known primarily for its search engine. Apple is known primarily for their elegant design of consumer electronics. Now think about others like AOL, Yahoo, Novell, and even IBM, brands that have become so diluted they are no longer widely recognized as a place to go for technology.

When our customers need help, they need to immediately think of calling our team for support. If we give them prompt, focused and effective attention, we can build a strong brand for our team.