Caring is Good for Business
“People don’t judge you on the basis of your mistakes—they judge you on the manner in which you own them.” Jason Fried, co-founder of 37signals
My wife, Ivy, is one of those rare individuals who actually has the discipline to work out at home. In fact, she prefers it over going to the gym. It’s been a while since she’s had access to some good exercise equipment here at home. So, when she announced that she wanted an elliptical machine for Christmas, I was all for it. After a month of research, we returned to a local big box store, pointed to the model we’d settled upon and said, “We’ll take it.”
What happens after the sale makes a huge impact in whether a customer becomes a loyal, satisfied, or dissatisfied buyer. In other words, how you’re cared for after you surrender the check/cash/credit card, determines if you’ll buy again and become a word of mouth advertiser. Anyone can take good care of you before they get your money. World class companies take great care of you after the “contract” is signed, resulting in a loyalty buying experience. With this understanding, I pay attention to how a company executes after the sale.
When the doorbell rang on delivery day, Ivy was like an expectant parent eagerly anticipating exercising in the convenience of our own home. The next hour-and-a-half felt as if a three ring circus had entered our house. Recent rain had left the patchy winter grass soggy with Carolina red clay. Our delivery and installation guys, who apparently felt that red-mud was an ideal work environment, made no less than a dozen trips in and out of our house. The only thing worse than the mud tracks covering our wood floors, staircase, and carpet was the dog poop that had attached to the cardboard box and found its way into our home. Not once did these guys stop to recognize or apologize for what they were doing to our home. After they left, Ivy and I spent an hour moping, sweeping, and vacuuming our floors that had been carelessly traipsed upon.
During the clean up, I noticed thoughts like, I should have laid down drop clothes before these guys arrived. Then, I changed that thinking to; wait a minute… it’s their job to take care of that… I’m the customer. As a result of our experience, we will not buy from that store again. We will not recommend our friends buy equipment from them. We have determined to shop with their competition next time. Their million dollar ad campaigns won’t change our minds. Actions speak louder than hype.
A little care and a simple drop cloth could have turned this entire experience around. That’s the opportunity here. Creating a loyalty experience for customers/clients is often downright cheap. You can spend more on advertising to attract new buyers or demonstrate more care to your current customers. I recommend caring…it’s always good for business.
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