This is so true in business. How many times have you walked into a store and got the sense that not only were they doing you a favor by having the doors open, but you were bothering them with your patronage? How many times did you present an issue to a customer service representative, only to hear in return, "there's nothing I can do; sorry, company policy." Unfortunately, kindness is business is the outlier. Which is why, as business owners, this is the best and most efficient way to set yourself apart from the competition in order to build lasting relationships with your clients.
You see, if you own a business, regardless of your industry, you are in the relationship business. The needs of your customer or client are much more important than your agenda or quota. If you can deliver the 3 Ps- people, product, and process- than that pesky fourth P will take care of itself without much thought from you... profit.
I recently heard a friend relay a positive experience at a well-known grocery chain. Unfortunately, positive service stories seem to be much less shared than poor experiences, but in this experience, an employee saw her bewildered over attempting to reach a jar of peanut butter in the very back of the very bottom shelf- in a skirt! This employee quickly moved to the floor and lay on his side in order to reach her desired peanut butter. He didn't stop there, either! He then carried all of her groceries to the front of the store where another smiling employee was waiting to ring her up.
How many people do you think my friend will share this experience with? How many times do you think she will recall this experience and decide to go out of her way to visit that store instead of the other one that may be a little more convenient for her?
Great service builds great loyalty. That is what we are all after at the end of the day, isn't it? To find companies with whom we can place our loyalties and be business-owners with whom those we serve choose to remain loyal.
