So often we forget that our
customers are our bosses. I think I discovered a significant reason why most of us fall
into this "rut." The day we began our business we were as happy as could be. The
customer was king! We didn't have many orders so we bent over backwards to make sure that
all our customers were happy. Some of us might have even gone overboard and "went
into the hole" just because we were so overjoyed that we had received a customer
order!
But, later on, we became much busier. We were putting in
long hours, neglecting family and social life and realizing that being in business does
have its gloomy side. While we tried our best to give each customer personal attention,
some customers couldn't be pleased if we hung ourselves with a new rope! Therefore, new
policies had to be established. Prices had to increase for us to invest into business
growth. And somewhere in-between all this we lost the zeal for customer satisfaction.
Instead of the customer being "king" he/she was now a "pawn."
What originally began as an eager desire to please
customers had now turned into a daily struggle. But who could blame you? You can remember
spending $100 and 30 hours of time trying to help a beginner get started in mail order.
However, after that beginner learned all your trade secrets they left owing you money and
never gave you the time of day again. This made you cautious. Then how about the customer
that pretended they were going to send you a $500 order, wasted an hour or so of your time
(and long-distance phone charges) just to get them quotes before they sent in their money.
Then - after all the toil and added expenses, you never heard from the customer again. How
irritating! At least, you thought, they could have sent you a "Thank You Note"
for all the trouble they put you though.
But 20 minutes later, you get another phone call from a
customer wanting to put you through the same thing. Only this time the guy is serious. Do
you give this guy the same treatment you gave to the first customer? As a human being, you
normally can't because you are ruled by emotion. It takes someone with a lot of
self-confidence in their own character to treat each customer like a big business!
Just treat every customer you talk to the same way you
would treat someone from a big business who was getting ready to send you a $10,000 order!
Unfortunately, some business owners allow owning a business to go to their heads. After
they start becoming successful, the owner will think he/she is "king" and makes
all the rules. He/she feels that their reputation speaks for itself and customer's are
eager just to do business with them.
This normally happens because income increases and you
don't "need" certain customers who you feel have been a thorn in your side. But
although it is perfectly fine to do this, if you dispel a customer solely based on the
"amount" and "quantity" of orders he or she sends you, that's a big
mistake. Those small guys and gals might just grow up and become BIGGER businesses than
you someday! Wouldn't you rather have them on your side? Wouldn't you rather be in a
position to work with them, perhaps on a multi-million-dollar contract together? One never
knows what the future holds so try to BE NICE, even if you have to grin and bear it!
That's why it's even more important to stop and think
again. Are you guilty of having a business ownership ego? If you allow it to go too far
you could lose your business entirely. Egos are a very tricky thing to deal with. A hurt
ego's downside is normally jealousy, deceit and even criminal activity. Rage does nothing
but tear you up emotionally inside and always erupts in bad behavior and lost
relationships. Never, ever, go into a rage over the phone. If other people are screaming
at you, you will either calm them down by remaining calm yourself or show them up for
being emotionally unstable. Rage is truly the result of an unstable personality trait.
It's really NOT normal. So get with the program and be calm (and nice.)
Everyone is in business to make money, however, making it
at someone else's expense is suicide! Perhaps some of you reading this are laughing inside
yourself. You know I speak the truth! If you are the least bit intelligent you can easily
see that making a fast buck at the expense of others is a way to live a very short life.
If you can only see the moment and not the future in your life, you belong back in grade
school, perhaps kindergarten! It's true that "Humility Demonstrates
Superiority".
