13 - Be The Customer You Want to Have
50 Years, 50 Lessons
Lesson 13: Be The Customer You Want To Have
I think about this lesson a LOT. I try very hard to be a good customer.
I am forgiving, mostly patient, always kind, and generally appreciative.
I pay my bills on time. I can’t recall a time when I stiffed anyone.
I tell people about great service I receive, and will recommend my vendors and contacts to anyone who might need or want the service they offer.
If a vendor errs, I forgive. I might also move on, but I forgive first.
I might put up an honest review, good or bad, but that would be after trying to rectify a bad experience with them first.
In business, we want good customers. Often, we get the customers we deserve, but we ALWAYS get the customers we tolerate.
I coach all my business owner clients to be selective of their customers. Customers have choice, sure, but so do business owners. When you are a new business, being customer-selective is harder to do. Any dollars are better than no dollars. But as you get good, you get to exercise choice. You can opt to work with people who make your work enjoyable and who will treat you and your team with the values you want.
When you are really good, you will demand good customers. By then, you will fully appreciate what bad customers cost you in time, emotional energy, people, and dollars. None of them will be worth it.
Coaching Thoughts:
When was the last time you fired a customer? Should you?
Are you the customer you want to have? If not, reflect on that.
Where can you find better customers?
Are you hiring service providers who are not great to you? How can you fix that?
Your turn:
Reflect on the story of your worst customer. What did you do about it?
To All: Thank you for being on this journey with me – past, present, and future.
Julie
