I’m minding my own business, enjoying a coffee at a local Barnes and Noble when two thirty-something business guys sit down right behind me.
It’s cramped, and short of cupping my hands over my ears and singing out loud, it would have been impossible not to hear their conversation from eighteen inches away.
Inside of the seven or eight minutes I was there, they managed to slam every single person they spoke of, which… incidently, sounded like their best clients.
Amazing. One after another… non-stop.
If we were to call those clients, what are the chances that they would say they’re thrilled with the relationship, and that they receive excellent service?
Would they say the feel valued by their service provider, and that they often refer others to them? Do you think that they’re looking forward to the next engagement, interaction, or conversation with these two young men?
Or do you think the feelings are mutual?
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Today, I had the opportunity to speak with a number of people who happen to be customers of one of our clients.
What a difference.
Talk about a praise-fest. Thrilled with the relationship… respect and admiration for the provider. Hundreds of referrals… yes, let me say it again a little louder… HUNDREDS OF REFERRALS!
And in speaking with our client, he feels the same way about every single one of them. It’s a beautiful thing.
Me-thinks there is at least one lesson or two for the thirty-something guys at the coffee shop. The question is whether they’ll be in business long enough to learn.
Questions:
What do you believe may be some of the differentiating factors between the two examples mentioned above?
If you were hired to clean up the mess in the first example, where would you start, and what would your process be?
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