Take Care of Customers…They’ll Take Care of You

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on November 19, 2009 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments | Be the First to Comment

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland is running a series of articles spotlighting local jewelry stores who have been in business more than 50 years.  You figure if they’ve been in business that long, they must be doing something right.  Not only are they building relationships, the relationships are continuing down through the generations. 

The spotlight in yesterday’s paper was on Kolick Jewelers in Westlake. 

Their business has continued to grow even though they’ve changed their company name and they’ve moved the business FOUR times. Report Evelyn Theiss entitled the article “Loyal Customers Follow Business No Matter Where it Sets Up Shop.”

That’s customer loyalty.  That’s building a relationship with your customers.  For people to like doing business with you that much that they HUNT YOU DOWN.

Something similar happened to me yesterday.  I received a call from Russ of the Akron Board of Trade Council asking me to present my Make the Most of Your Online Presence at a luncheon in January.  He said one of his members heard me speak but he didn’t remember where, didn’t remember my name and didn’t know my company name.  However, WHAT I said and HOW I said it had impacted him so much he felt the message was perfect to kick off the new year with the Trade Council.  So Russ proceeded to hunt me down.  He said it took several calls to multiple chambers and organizations before he found my name.  Either he likes a good mystery or something I said inspired that dedication.  I’m grateful.  BTW, the luncheon in January 6, 2010 at the Stonehedge Family Fun center at 11:30am – come on by.

When asked the secret of their success, Donald Kolick, son of the founder Joseph Kolick said this:

“If you take care of people, people will take care of you.”

That says it all.  Think about your customers – do you put them first?  Ask yourself – if you moved or changed your name – would they find you?  If they couldn’t remember your name – would you have left them with an impression so powerful that they would hunt you down no matter what?