Once you set up a system or process for your business, it’s easy to forget about it and just leave it running.

I was put in mind of this the other day, as I wasted tons of time in Vodafone España’s asinine call centre “loop.” You have to go through several levels listening to a computer asking you questions while you press the relevant buttons, only to find you’ve been put through to the wrong department when you finally get to speak to a human! I now know their hold music in detail! While all this was going on, I wondered when was the last time any senior manager at Vodafone had actually tried using their system to see what it was like from a client viewpoint.

Here are some tips for them, and for you:

• If you have contact forms on your website, fill one in and check what happens in terms of where you are sent after doing so, and what happens next
• Send yourself an email. What does it look like? What does it say in the “From” line? Does it match your corporate brand or style?
• Call your business and see how the phone is answered and how quickly. If you have an answer phone, check the message. Is it still current or right for your business?
• Have a look at your advertising – leaflets, business cards etc. Are they all conveying the same message?

Take some time to think about all the points of contact you have with a customer or potential customer, and make it part of your monthly routine to test them and make sure they are still good and still relevant.