Friday, 29 May 2015

Understanding and appreciating your customers



A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine told me a story – on the face of it the story has nothing do with business – but it is a touching story anyway.

I have no idea as to whether the story is true or if it just an urban legend, but like all good stories, it certainly carries an important lesson, and it’s a lesson that you should apply to your business - if you’re smart
 
Here it is exactly as it was told to me;
 
"A man and a young teenage boy checked in to a hotel and were shown to their room.
The two receptionists noted the quiet manner of the guests, and the pale appearance of the boy.

Later in the evening, the man and boy ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. The staff again noticed that the two guests were very quiet, and that the boy seemed disinterested in his food. After eating, the boy went to his room and the man went to reception and asked to see the manager.

The receptionist initially asked if there was a problem with the service or the room, and offered to fix things, but the man said that there was no problem of that sort, and repeated his request.

The manager was called and duly appeared. The man asked to speak privately and was taken into the manager's office.

The man explained that he was spending the night in the hotel with his fourteen-year-old son, who was seriously ill, probably terminally so. The boy was very soon to undergo therapy, which would cause him to lose his hair. They had come to the hotel to have a break together, and also because the boy planned to shave his head, that night, rather than feel that the illness was beating him. The father said that he would be shaving his own head too, in support of his son.

He asked that staff be respectful when the two of them came to breakfast with their shaved heads. The manager assured the father that he would inform all staff and that they would behave appropriately.

The following morning the father and son entered the restaurant for breakfast.
There they saw the four male restaurant staff attending to their duties, perfectly normally, all with shaved heads."
 
This story is a great example of going above and beyond what is expected of you by your clients… And going above and beyond what is expected of you is the only way you are going to turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong client and eradicate any and all competition.   And it’s the only way you’re going to be able to command premium prices for what you do.

Letting your customers know that you understand them and their needs is essential if you want to be recognised as a supplier of choice

At Blue Box (and our sister company Blue Box Recruitment) we understand the importance of understanding what our customers are saying to us and reacting accordingly
If you would like to see what we do and how it could help your business, then please contact us in all the usual ways – telephone 084 3289 3288 or email enquiries@blueboxconsultancy.com

Obviously you can contact Blue Box Recruitment in the same way (and we would be happy to pass the messages across – but if you want to speak to us directly, our details are – 08456 894 894 and hello@blueboxrecruitment.com


We look forward to hearing from you soon

Until the next time, be bold and do good business




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