ook my car to the dealership for a routine treatment. Got there early so I can get out quickly. Not too many are there at 7:10am and the gentlemen behind the counter saw me looking around so immediately offered their help.
Usually Mat takes care of me I said with an asking face as his spot was…Matless. They said he will be back in 3 minutes, so I decided to hang out. As I am waiting for “my guy” one of the gentlemen working there passed by behind me with another customer on their way to the counter at the end where the “runners” are.
Picture this guy, the dealership service gentlemen, approaching the counter while the customer is right behind him. As soon as the two of them get to the counter, one of the “runners” jumps up with a what can I do for you look on their face. The customer needed a ride to the car rental place down the street and the “Runner” was asked to give the customer a ride. A simple request. Nothing to it. Straight forward. No questions asked. But the way the service gentleman requested made that world of a difference.
He could have said something like – hey, would you please take this gentleman down to that car rental place? Would have been fine.
He could have said – hey man, please take this customer here to the rental place. Again, no issues. But man, this guy selected the most special way to do so. He wanted to make sure at that specific moment, the customer felt as if he is their ONLY customer. For the entire GM corporation, everywhere in the world, there was, at that moment only one customer as the service gentleman said to the “Runner”: My man, would you please take this gentleman here, one of MY VIP customers down to the rental place?
BOOM!!
You should have seen the body language! The customer instantly became 3 inches taller. The customer, right there and then felt “hugged”, felt special.
Think for a second how you feel when you go to get coffee and the cashier doesn’t even bother to raise his eyes (yes I’m talking to you Mr. rude cashier guy with the Yankee cap and the red shirt last Tuesday at 10:12am – you know who you are…) VS. a small smile, a nod (I got ya) while looking right in your eyes and perhaps even remembering your last order.
Imagine your feeling when you call your travel agent, you request a trip to a place you went to a year before or a couple of weeks ago and they, over the phone ask you – hey, do you want to stay at the same Hilton you stayed in last time? I mean, come on! You know they care, and you feel special. Oh, and you couldn’t care less that they “cheated” and looked at your previous reservation.
And this is exactly how we should all make our customers feel EVERY TIME we interact with them. Whether you are on a support call, on a QBR (Quarterly Business Review), new customer, internal customer, dinner, online, whatever! Pay attention, take notes, look them in the eye, CARE!
When we make our customer, at that moment, FEEL as if they are the only customer, they will reciprocate with the same feeling, the same trust, the same openness. And from here, this is it. Your relationship with them is engraved in stone. Do you really want to tell me that you will go back to that rude guy with the Yankee cap after being greeted personally with a smile at that other coffee shop?
So yes, if you ask me how many customers I have, well, at this moment, I have ONLY ONE!
YOU!