Courtesy and the credit crunch
I have a very good friend who is a recognised artist. We communicate virtually every day on email and this week he is to have a one man show. As it is quite a way out of London we have decided to make a little holiday of the trip. I rang the gallery, explained who I was and that I would be attending the private viewing and asked if they would recommend a hotel near them. Of course the usual ‘Muppet’ who answered the phone could not possibly say and had to ask the boss who was presumably hovering in the background. She then gave me the name of a nearby hotel and put the phone down. Now those with disposable cash to spend on art in this slump, crunch or squeeze must be getting thinner on the ground. So maybe 5 magic words could have made a little difference and started a positive relationship. What are they? Well what about ‘looking forward to seeing you?’ Now you might well think that this is a ravings of an old man but believe me when times are hard everything you can do to establish relationship counts. How welcoming and warm are you when prospects contact you from cold?
Popularity: 11%
September 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Courtesy takes so little effort but is worringly rare. Do they teach it in schools or do parents demonstrate it to their children these days. I sound grumpy too!
September 6th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Absolutely right Iain. I think the majority of those in the service setor don’t actually care about people so it does not come naturally. Amazing but true!
Chris Kaday
Business Coach
September 6th, 2008 at 8:10 am
In my view, if you don’t truely love your customers, you can’t possibly succeed in business.
There are so many more ways to attract and retain customers than merely focusing on having the lowest price. Attention to detail, courtesy, thoughfulness and warmth. These things not only help customers love you, but also makes each day a more rewarding experience and life generally richer.
Richard Taylor
Managing Director - http://www.astrotrac.com