THE CARE AND KEEPING OF CUSTOMERS

The first question any business must understand is WHAT business they are actually in. Most people think McDonald's is in the restaurant or hamburger business, but many analysts have observed that they are actually in a variety of businesses. They are in real estate development. They are in the entertainment business. But most of all, they are in the customer service business. Every business is first, last, and always in the business of providing superior service to its customers. It costs a fortune to attract a new customer. The time, money, energy, anxiety and effort to get a new first-time customer in the door is a huge expense. No business has the resources to attract and serve only new customers. The key is in keeping and serving the customers you already have and profiting from their repeat business over time. No matter what business you think you are in, your first business is in serving and partnering with your customers. It's called customer retention. Sometimes it's called "up- selling." It goes by many names, but the principle is the same: Nurture and keep your customers! Customer service is about reliability and relationship. It's about trust. It's about the quality of your product, but even more, it's about the quality of your service before, during and long after the sale. Quotes of the Week "He's no failure. He's not dead yet."-- William Lloyd George "We don't know who we are until we see what we can do." -- Martha Grimes "Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential." -- Winston Churchill "The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult." -- Mme. Du Deffand