There is no shortage of
stories about seemingly ungrateful customers. “I did this or that, didn’t
charge him anything (or very little), and the sorry #@!%&!! didn’t even say
thank you”. “I’ve been keeping that bucket of bolts of hers running 3 years
past the time it was due for its appointment with the bone yard. Now she brings
it in here, one more time, for a rescue, and I see an oil change sticker on her
window from one of my competitors”. Where’s my appreciation?
The fact is that there is
no shortage of stories like that floating around out there and, if you’ve been
in this business for any length of time, you probably have enough of your own
collection of “experiences” where you could publish your own book. I’m not here
to tell you I have the magic elixir to make all that go away. Uh-uh! As long as
you are dealing with people, that will never change. But, here’s the problem we
face. The longer we work, the more of those stories we collect. The good
stories fade into the background. After all, they are what our expectation is
of what business should be like. It’s not that we don’t remember the good
customers. It just seems we remember the bad ones more easily.
What happens to us is
that, after a period of time, we tend to form habits in the way we treat
customers that doesn’t always match-up to how we think of ourselves in our own
minds. Sure, chances are that our good customers will always get treated well. The caution lies with the new customer or
those who, for some legitimate circumstance, do not see you more than once or
twice a year. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. I am living in south
Florida. Many of the residents in my community are “snow-birds” (they are only
here for the winter months). Then we have the “snow-flakes” (they are the ones
who flit in and out with the storm cycle up north and don’t even spend the
equivalent of 2 months during the year). Now, can you think of any reason why
you might not see those people as frequently as you would like? The point is
that there are lots of reasons, so why would you not consciously treat them as
a valued customer? The “unconscious” reason is that you have lumped them into
that group of “storied” customers due to the frequency of their visits. We all
tend to like the family with 3 or 4 vehicles, only one of which is new. Sure,
they see you more often and you may know their personal stories, but there are
other kinds of customers that can prove just as valuable.
My strong message here
is going to be that you cannot form a “good business” practice based on a few
“bad business” people.
You may only see that
customer once or twice a year but the impression you leave them with can last for
years and have far reaching implications. And, I’m not just talking about the
amount of money they personally spend in your place. I’m implying that those
customers you interact with, every one of them, has the potential to do you
either harm or good. >>>> I want you to take a moment and re-read
this paragraph. Spend a minute thinking about the truth of that statement.
Think of how you, personally, have done good or harm to a business when you
were the customer. Go ahead. I’ll wait. …..
Studies of human nature
tell us that people are 10 times more likely to tell friends and acquaintances
about a bad experience than they would a good one. That’s not me. It’s just a
fact. My point is, knowing that, you need to work 10 times harder to get those
good stories circulating. You can’t afford to waste a single opportunity. Is it
worth the effort? You bet it is! Here’s what happens to a “good” story.
I know I’ve mentioned
my friend Al before. He runs an independent repair shop a few blocks from where
I live. My personal interaction with him is limited because I usually lease my
cars, I don’t put much mileage on them, and therefore they are always under
factory warranty. But, I do everything I can to do business with him, so all my
regular service is done at his place. The 2 questions I have for you are: 1)
How did I come to use Al? and 2) Besides my personal business, what have I done
for Al to promote his business?
The answer to #1 is: I
was recommended to him by several people. I am living here 10 years now
and when I first moved down I had no idea of where to take my car for service
besides the branded dealership. Where could I get my oil changed? Where can I
buy tires? Most importantly: Where can I find somebody that was trustworthy? I
asked some of my neighbors. Guess what?
All fingers pointed to Al. So, I jumped in. You know what I found out?
Not only were they right, they had understated his worth.
Without getting into
the specifics for the high esteem I hold for Al, I need to ask you this
question. Do you suppose that I was the only one my neighbors had told about
Al? How many people found out about him through word of mouth? 10? 50? 250? No
way of telling. All I can tell you is he is always busy. Even off-season.
The answer to #2 is:
Not only have I recommended him every single time I am asked about where to
take my car, but, he has been the unsolicited topic at many gatherings when I’m
with a group of guys just talking about “stuff”. I’ve gone as far as personally
bringing a prospective customer into his shop just to introduce them.
So, here is the answer
to where your payoff is. It can come in two days, two months or ten years
later. Whenever you take the time to establish a positive relationship with the
customer standing in front of you, you have no idea of how long your effort
will continue to pay you back. You just have to work your way through the ungrateful
ones and not allow them to influence how you set your business practices. All
things being equal, your reward will come in the form of full bays.
