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Hello my friends,
This is a very important message, treat your business clients with the respect that you would want,Be nice to all your business associates.Kathy
Rule #1: Treat People Well
Posted by Olivier Blanchard
There's a reason they call it the Golden Rule. Treat people as you want to be treated, and even if you screw up, chances are that they will forgive you.
And come back.
And tell their friends about how well they were taken care of when they ran into a snag.
Just last week, I witnessed a five-minute exchange between an unhappy customer, a retailer and a product manufacturer. At the center of the three-way conversation, a lost hitch pin on a brand-new child trailer (the kind that hooks up to the back of a bicycle). It went a little something like this:
_ Customer: "I guess I should have made sure the pin was secure before I hooked it up."
_ Retailer: "Well, yeah, but you really shouldn't have to. I'm sorry that happened. Let me see if we have any extra pins in stock."
(Two minutes later...) "Nope. We don't have any. Hold on. Let me call the manufacturer."
(Three minutes later, after explaining the problem to the customer service person at the manufacturer's headquarters...) "Here, Richard (the customer's name). They want to speak with you. (the retail assistant hands the customer the phone."
_ Manufacturer: "Sir, we're just going to send you a replacement kit free of charge. Do you want us to send it to the store or directly to your home address?"
Needless to say, the customer left happy.
What happened? The customer was treated with respect, compassion, and genuine care. Though the exchange remained relatively formal, he was treated like a friend.
He didn't have to jump through hoops. Nobody ever said "no." The replacement didn't cost him one red cent. He didn't have to wait for an answer. As a matter of fact, the problem was resolved in about five minutes.
The focus of the exchange wasn't about selling him anything or wowing him with great service. It was this: Let's get this guy back on the road as quickly as possible.
That sense of genuine compassion, the desire to help people and solve problems for them is one of the core elements of any strong brand. If anything, it is a vital component of the articulation of that brand through its customers' exerience. People expect problems. Cars break down. Computers crash. Wine gets skunky. DVD players stop... playing. What separates great brands from mediocre ones when something does go wrong is the way they respond to the problem.
It isn't surprising, then, that treating people well is a recurring theme in Marketing circles.
Perfect example: John Winsor's "Treating People As People" post points us to Guy Kawasaki's "The Art Of Sucking Down", in which guy explores the concept of sucking-up vs. sucking down. Here's a taste:
"One of the great misconceptions of selling, pitching, and partnering--basically, any time you want to get someone to do something for you--is that you should suck up to the people with the big titles and “A list” designation. Sometimes you do--as you've already read in this blog, but the ability to suck up to the folks who don't have big titles but make the world run is more useful. ok, look, listen and learn,these are just topics so you may pick and choose what fits or works for you to impliment in your business.Many blessings to you,kathy
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