"Hi. Im Your Customer. You Know, The One Who Pays Your Bills and Puts Food On Your Table."

I'm a pretty understanding guy. I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes when ever there is a conflict or problem. I understand that things happen. I understand that people get busy. I understand that people have bad days.

What I don't understand is when I go to a restaurant or retail store, why I'm treated as if I'm the lowest form of life walking this earth.

Great service starts with understanding that without a happy customer, you lose. You lose your job. You lose money to feed yourself or your children. You lose self-esteem. You lose a lot.

I'm a member of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) and on the last line of their Creed it reads:

"Service to humanity is the BEST work of life!"

Wouldn't that be a great philosophy to live your life by? Wouldn't that be a great belief to instill in your employees? I've adopted this belief in my life.
Why not you?

I have another belief I've adopted and live by:

"Treat your customers like dear and valued friends."

If your grandmother walked into your store, would you allow one of your employees to stay on a personal phone call and tell her to wait? Would you leave your grandmother on hold for 15 minutes? Would you ignore her if she had a question on a product she was interested in buying?

ANSWER: Absolutely not. (If you said "yes", then you'll be out of business soon.)

So many restaurants and retail stores I visit treat me this way. I get so angry at the apathy many of these employees have with us customers. The worst thing is that many of the managers or store owners do nothing about it. I've complained three times to a mc-fast food restaurant nearby and nothing has been done to improve the service.

So, I choose not to do business with that particular restaurant ever again.

I'm serious!

Treat me like dirt once. Shame on you.
Treat me like dirt more than once. Shame on me.

You must remember that you are not in business for yourself. You are in business for the customer. If you don't show your husband or wife you love them, they'll go elsewhere to find love. The same goes for your customers.

Treat them as if you loved them. Treat them with respect. Treat them as if they were the one's putting money in your pocket or the food on your table...because they are!
©2001 By Craig A. Valine

About the Author

Craig Valine is the publisher of the The AwfulMarketing Alert Newsletter, "Where you learn GOOD marketing strategies by looking at those who do it really BAD."

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