Building Customer Relationships
What does it take to keep you coming back?
What can a business do for you that will ensure you want to do business with them again as soon as possible?
I think it's the little things.
If I order something from you, I exchange my money for your widget or service. If we leave it at that, then each of us walks away satisfied. However, neither of us is dedicated to the other.
To reach that level of trust, a business needs to offer something extra. Something not originally promised, and not ever charged for.
If you're a small business owner, you probably read that last sentence and thought, "I can't afford to do that!"
The truth is you can't afford not to.
Let's take my favorite Chinese food restaurant for example.
It's called Hua Chang. It's owned by a Chinese couple that do all the work themselves - no employees.
When my wife and I arrive to pick up our carry out beef lo mein, it's a moment of high excitement. The couple throws a quick little party at the sight of our car. The wife peeks out the window at us, and begins waving enthusiastically. She calls over her husband, who joins in the waving.
When I enter, I'm immediately greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. They ask how we've been, and if we enjoyed our meal last time.
They make the food exactly the way it's ordered, every time. They thank us profusely. They're kind and genuine.
More than that, they're smart. They know I'll be back. They don't have to ask, because they know they've gone above and beyond.
Notice that nothing they did cost them one cent extra...and now I rarely eat at any other Chinese restaurant. They have my loyalty. I'm a dedicated customer.
Now let's look at the flip side.
I've dealt with HP for years. They've given me decent service when issues have come up. The computers, printers, monitors and servers work well. However, they've never once done anything to add a personal touch. This isn't an issue until a mistake is made and mutual trust is breached.
Their slogan is "The computer is personal again". I can assure you it's just a tag line, nothing more.
I recently had an issue with my personal HP laptop. It took thirteen (13) HP employees five (5) weeks to resolve the issue. I was lied to, in writing, multiple times. I had to threaten filing a fraud claim with the Better Business Bureau to get results.
In one of the emails I received, an employee had stated that HP 'regretted any inconvenience I may have experienced'.
I have $50,000 worth of HP equipment in my server room at work waiting to be configured and deployed. I took a picture of the server room and emailed it to HP. I requested an apology, a call from a supervisor, and some sort of gesture from HP to show they still wanted me as a customer.
Their written response? "We apologized in previous email correspondence". No real apology, no phone call, no gesture...and now no dedication.
My Chinese food is personal, but HP computers sure aren't.
What can a business do for you that will ensure you want to do business with them again as soon as possible?
I think it's the little things.
If I order something from you, I exchange my money for your widget or service. If we leave it at that, then each of us walks away satisfied. However, neither of us is dedicated to the other.
To reach that level of trust, a business needs to offer something extra. Something not originally promised, and not ever charged for.
If you're a small business owner, you probably read that last sentence and thought, "I can't afford to do that!"
The truth is you can't afford not to.
Let's take my favorite Chinese food restaurant for example.
It's called Hua Chang. It's owned by a Chinese couple that do all the work themselves - no employees.
When my wife and I arrive to pick up our carry out beef lo mein, it's a moment of high excitement. The couple throws a quick little party at the sight of our car. The wife peeks out the window at us, and begins waving enthusiastically. She calls over her husband, who joins in the waving.
When I enter, I'm immediately greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. They ask how we've been, and if we enjoyed our meal last time.
They make the food exactly the way it's ordered, every time. They thank us profusely. They're kind and genuine.
More than that, they're smart. They know I'll be back. They don't have to ask, because they know they've gone above and beyond.
Notice that nothing they did cost them one cent extra...and now I rarely eat at any other Chinese restaurant. They have my loyalty. I'm a dedicated customer.
Now let's look at the flip side.
I've dealt with HP for years. They've given me decent service when issues have come up. The computers, printers, monitors and servers work well. However, they've never once done anything to add a personal touch. This isn't an issue until a mistake is made and mutual trust is breached.
Their slogan is "The computer is personal again". I can assure you it's just a tag line, nothing more.
I recently had an issue with my personal HP laptop. It took thirteen (13) HP employees five (5) weeks to resolve the issue. I was lied to, in writing, multiple times. I had to threaten filing a fraud claim with the Better Business Bureau to get results.
In one of the emails I received, an employee had stated that HP 'regretted any inconvenience I may have experienced'.
I have $50,000 worth of HP equipment in my server room at work waiting to be configured and deployed. I took a picture of the server room and emailed it to HP. I requested an apology, a call from a supervisor, and some sort of gesture from HP to show they still wanted me as a customer.
Their written response? "We apologized in previous email correspondence". No real apology, no phone call, no gesture...and now no dedication.
My Chinese food is personal, but HP computers sure aren't.
posted by Ricky Anderson at
5:09 PM
2 Comments
