THE EARLY TO RISE GOLDEN RULE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
A commercial on the radio this morning caught my interest. It was for a men’s clothing store. All the usual claims were made, but one was phrased in a way I hadn’t heard before: “We treat all of our customers as if they were the only one.”
This is certainly not the first time customers have been promised that they will be treated with attention and care. But it was the first time I was lucky enough to really pay attention to what was being said. It gave me a very succinct way of expressing exactly what you need to do to build your business by providing good service.
Had you asked me for a single, simple rule before today, I would have given you a version of the golden rule: “Treat your customers as you would like to be treated yourself.” But I think “treat all your customers as if they were the only one” is better. Everyone has a different idea of how he wants to be treated, but I think we would all agree on how we would treat someone who was our only customer. I nominate this for the Early to Rise Golden Rule of Customer Service.
Think for a moment – what would you do for your only customer?
7 Ways to Make Sure Your Customers Never Leave You
1. You would definitely be delighted to see him when he walked in. Your face would light up. You would rush to greet him. You would address him by name.
2. You would show him products you know would be “perfect” for him, because you would think about him every time you got a new shipment. You would be correct in your judgment, because you would remember his taste, what he had bought before, what worked for him and what did not, etc.
3. You would make sure he was happy with the price.
4. You would give him a present in appreciation for his patronage.
5. You would expressly thank him for his patronage.
6. You would call him afterward to make sure he was happy with his purchase and make any adjustments he desired.
7. You would call him every time something new and interesting (for him) came into your shop.
That’s a short, off-the-cuff list. You can probably add to it. (Please send me your suggestions.)
Here’s The Challenge . . .
Now ask yourself how many of these things you do right now for every customer you have. The difference between what you would do for your only customer and what you are doing for your actual customers represents the potential untapped value of your business.
MMF
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LIVING RICH: NEXT TIME YOU VISIT AN ART MUSEUM, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY
Former Met director Thomas Hoving had this advice for museum-goers in an interview in the US Airways magazine Attache.
* Don’t try to see it all. Pick one exhibit or section that you like.
* Set a time limit. (My own rule is 90 minutes. After that, I feel like I’m working.)
* If you want the highlights, visit the bookstore first. (They sell posters of the most famous stuff.)
* Trust your eyes. The culture police won’t arrest you if you prefer an “unimportant” painting and ignore a must-see piece.
* Skip the audio guides. You become a fish in a school of art fish.
* Don’t feel you have to “get it.” Modern and contemporary art, in particular, isn’t supposed to be an intelligence test, Hoving says. A Morris Louis is beautiful colors coming together. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s not supposed to.
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