How to win customers and influence loyalty: Part I of IV
By Adam
February 19, 2010
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By Donna Marrin
I’ll never forget the customer service I received from a realtor named George. Although I had no intention of selling my home, I had decided to seek a market value appraisal to find out if my home was holding its own in the current marketplace. I randomly selected George’s name from a real estate ad in my local newspaper.
Years of dealing with businesses operating high on greed and low on customer appreciation had turned me into a cynical consumer. The idea of “getting something for nothing” just didn’t exist; a price was always attached. Although I was keen on getting my appraisal, I wasn’t looking forward to meeting George. I suspected I’d be subjected to predatory sales tactics along with a mailbox deluged with junk mail imploring me to sell my house for weeks afterward.
George appeared at my door on time, offering a warm smile and a firm handshake. He answered all of my questions patiently and provided the thorough appraisal I had hoped for. As he was leaving, he handed me his business card, with no pressure pitch. A couple of weeks passed before I realized I’d received no junk mail listing all the houses he’d sold in my area. Another week later, I opened my mailbox to find an envelope from George. “Aha! Here we go!” I thought. As I removed the contents of the envelope, my jaw dropped to my knees. Inside was a hand-written greeting from George, along with a pair of complimentary tickets to the Toronto National Home Show. The note said simply, “It was a pleasure to meet you. I thought you and your husband might enjoy using these passes next weekend. Sincerely, George.”
I was shocked. I’d just received something for nothing. Suddenly, George was the best real estate agent I’d ever dealt with. My husband and I did use the tickets and we had a splendid time. I told quite a few people about this fabulous real-estate agent named George, along with the name of his agency. Guess whose name will be the first to enter my mind when I decide to sell my house?
George is a brilliant example of how to win customers and influence loyalty.
Every single customer is a VIP!
As illustrated in Dale Carnegie’s Winning Friends and Influencing People, and Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten, there is a basic formula for dealing with people that guarantees positive results…
Visit tomorrow for Part II of this four-part series.
Donna Marrin is a freelance Senior Writer/Editor specializing in corporate communications and advertising. She also founded and runs the Markham Village Writers. You can visit their website at www.markhamvillagewriters.com
I’ll never forget the customer service I received from a realtor named George. Although I had no intention of selling my home, I had decided to seek a market value appraisal to find out if my home was holding its own in the current marketplace. I randomly selected George’s name from a real estate ad in my local newspaper.
Years of dealing with businesses operating high on greed and low on customer appreciation had turned me into a cynical consumer. The idea of “getting something for nothing” just didn’t exist; a price was always attached. Although I was keen on getting my appraisal, I wasn’t looking forward to meeting George. I suspected I’d be subjected to predatory sales tactics along with a mailbox deluged with junk mail imploring me to sell my house for weeks afterward.
George appeared at my door on time, offering a warm smile and a firm handshake. He answered all of my questions patiently and provided the thorough appraisal I had hoped for. As he was leaving, he handed me his business card, with no pressure pitch. A couple of weeks passed before I realized I’d received no junk mail listing all the houses he’d sold in my area. Another week later, I opened my mailbox to find an envelope from George. “Aha! Here we go!” I thought. As I removed the contents of the envelope, my jaw dropped to my knees. Inside was a hand-written greeting from George, along with a pair of complimentary tickets to the Toronto National Home Show. The note said simply, “It was a pleasure to meet you. I thought you and your husband might enjoy using these passes next weekend. Sincerely, George.”
I was shocked. I’d just received something for nothing. Suddenly, George was the best real estate agent I’d ever dealt with. My husband and I did use the tickets and we had a splendid time. I told quite a few people about this fabulous real-estate agent named George, along with the name of his agency. Guess whose name will be the first to enter my mind when I decide to sell my house?
George is a brilliant example of how to win customers and influence loyalty.
Every single customer is a VIP!
As illustrated in Dale Carnegie’s Winning Friends and Influencing People, and Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten, there is a basic formula for dealing with people that guarantees positive results…
Visit tomorrow for Part II of this four-part series.
Donna Marrin is a freelance Senior Writer/Editor specializing in corporate communications and advertising. She also founded and runs the Markham Village Writers. You can visit their website at www.markhamvillagewriters.com