TL;DR:
Atan Motoring transformed its business with a discovery-led strategy, uniting their board, gathering customer feedback, and empowering employees. This six-week journey improved customer satisfaction and business growth, highlighting the importance of active listening, continuous feedback, and innovation for SMEs.
In the heart of Singapore, where the hum of engines and the scent of motor oil fill the air, lies Atan Motoring. This family-run motorcycle service provider, established in 1998, has long been known for its technical expertise and dedication to customers. As Atan Motoring embraces the future, there’s a renewed excitement. Atan Motoring has set a new standard for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a refreshed approach. Here’s how they embraced a discovery-led business strategy, rethinking their approach, and how other SMEs can follow suit.
The Journey Begins: Embracing Change
When Atan Motoring embarked on its transformation journey, it was clear that while the business had a loyal customer base, there was potential to deepen relationships and better understand customer needs. They implemented a robust system for gathering customer feedback through multiple channels, including simple comment cards, interactive social media platforms, and regular customer surveys. This comprehensive feedback mechanism laid the groundwork for more profound changes.
People Transformation: Uniting the Board
A significant part of this transformation was the alignment of Atan Motoring’s board of directors. Initially, the directors and staff approached the strategic sessions with some apprehension, unsure what to expect. However, through guided exploration and strategic sessions, the directors began to see new possibilities and opportunities for expanding their business. These sessions helped align differing opinions, fostering a unified vision for the company’s future. They set ambitious goals and deeply aligned their strategies with the collected customer insights.
Establishing Continuous Feedback Loops
With the board united and customer feedback systems in place, Atan Motoring began analyzing this feedback regularly. Monthly reviews of customer insights helped identify common themes and areas for improvement. A recurring theme emerged: the importance of trust, relationship building, and providing value for money. With this knowledge, Atan Motoring focused on these core values to foster deeper customer loyalty.
Prototyping and Testing New Ideas
One of the first initiatives was piloting a new service loyalty program to reward better returning customers. While this idea had been attempted in the past, the team quickly learned through testing that it wasn’t resonating as expected. The feedback indicated that the program needed refinement. This learning process highlighted the importance of continuously validating ideas with real customer feedback.
Just as a discovery-led strategy encourages learning through validation, Atan Motoring saw this as an opportunity to explore more tailored servicing packages. They adjusted their offerings based on customer feedback, fine-tuning their services to meet customer needs better. This iterative approach allowed them to develop solutions resonating with their clients.
Empowering Employees and Fostering Innovation
Atan Motoring also focused on empowering their employees to be part of the discovery process. Mechanics and front-desk staff were encouraged to share their observations and customer interactions. This inclusive approach fostered a culture of innovation and collective effort where every team member felt valued and heard.
The Results: A Thriving Business by Putting People at the Center
Today, Atan Motoring experimented with the power of a discovery-led business strategy in faith. Their proactive approach to listening and adapting has improved customer satisfaction and driven business growth. Notably, this entire transformation was achieved in just six weeks. The rapid yet effective engagement enabled Atan Motoring to continue sustainably with the newly learned techniques and efforts. Their story highlights several key takeaways for other SMEs:
- Engage in Active Listening: Create multiple channels for customer feedback and genuinely seek to understand their needs and pain points.
- Unite the Leadership Team: Foster a collaborative environment among the board of directors and align them with a shared vision for the company’s future.
- Implement Continuous Feedback Loops: Regularly review customer insights to keep up with changing preferences and identify areas for improvement.
- Adopt a Prototyping Mindset: Test new ideas on a smaller scale before a full-scale launch. Use the feedback to refine and improve your offerings.
- Be Ready to Adapt: Embrace change and be willing to make adjustments based on feedback to stay relevant and meet evolving needs.
- Empower Employees: Encourage all team members to participate in the discovery process, valuing their ideas and insights.
Atan Motoring’s transformation was captured perfectly in their heartfelt 5-stars Google review for Empathic Agility:
“Empathic Agility has been a game-changer for our company. The team helped my company refine our business strategy and reshape our services provided to customers by diving into their needs and actively listening to their feedback. Identifying these key areas has helped us focus our limited resources to what’s most important and effective in bringing the business forward and at the same time translate efforts into profits.”
“Initially, our directors and staff went into sessions apprehensive not knowing exactly what to expect, but as we explored more with their team’s guidance, we started seeing possibilities and opportunities to expand our business dealings. These meetings turned ideas into actions and we started seeing fruits.”
“Appreciate the time & tools that EA’s team has introduced to us, highlighting our strengths and nudging us to work on important areas. The journey also helped the directors align differing opinions to the same page.”
“I believe the problems we faced as a company are common road blocks and issues faced by local SMEs, and the consultancy process EA brought us through ironed them out in a professional and smooth manner. If your family business feels stuck and is experiencing communication issues, I would recommend turning to EA & try out a few sessions with them.”
Conclusion: Embracing the Journey
At Empathic Agility, we believe in the transformative power of a discovery-led business strategy and people transformation. By actively listening to customers and fostering a culture of innovation, SMEs can craft products and services that meet and exceed customer expectations. The story of Atan Motoring is a shining example of this approach in action.
Let us embark on this journey together, continuously discovering, adapting, and thriving. Visit https://empathicagility.io for more insights on fostering innovation and continuous improvement in your business.
This blog post showcases how a commitment to active listening, discovery-led business strategy, and people transformation can lead to remarkable improvements and customer satisfaction. By applying these principles, your business can achieve similar success, staying agile and responsive to market demands.
Kudos to Atan Motoring Supply Pte Ltd.
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Thank you for your kind words. this is a case study that we are proud to show case being in service of the customers at the same time checking in business goals.