Individuals Make the Business
Friday, August 6, 2010, I lost a dear friend, Bekah Facemire. We didn’t grow up together. Our kids weren’t in soccer together. We didn’t work at the same place.
Bekah was the friendly, neighborhood cashier at Drug Mart. That’s where we met – at register 5.
Bekah greeted every customer with more than just a smile and a warm hello – she KNEW her customers. We were part of her family. Oh, management might have felt she talked to customers too long, but it was her friendship and genuine interest that kept us coming back between 8-4pm Monday-Friday. Week after week.
Drug Mart is a quality store, has lots of great stuff at affordable prices. But so does Walgreens and CVS and Wal-Mart.
It was Bekah’s personality that brought me back – sometimes daily – for one thing and another and a friendly conversation.
Bekah was diagnosed with lung cancer just six short weeks ago and as a community we began praying for her recovery. Customers came in to ask of her progress. When I learned of the diagnosis I went straight from the store to the hospital to give her a hug. I was surprised and overwhelmed by my feelings but that is the kind of relationship she fostered with her customers.
I just came back from a regular shopping excursion to Drug Mart and although they still have the same great products and the rest of the staff knew my name and greeted me warmly – it just wasn’t the same.
I left realizing that I probably won’t go out of my way to shop there any more. A new CVS is opening closer to my home. It wasn’t the products or the prices or the location – it was Bekah that brought me back time and time again – often to buy things I didn’t need but found myself putting in the cart while we chatted.
She remembered her customers – knew what they liked. She hollered out one day a couple months ago “Deb – the hoola hoops that you wanted just came in – they are on aisle two.” I had mentioned wanting to purchase a bunch of hoola hoops for another friend of mine LAST FALL and yet she remembered.
People make the company. It isn’t the name over the door. It isn’t the products or the prices or the special sales. Oh – maybe for a one off shopping experience you’ll be influenced by a sale – but it is the RELATIONSHIP each employee makes with each customers that creates a loyalty no special coupon offer can match.
I will miss Bekah very much. Loving mother, sister, aunt and friend. She had an impact on all she encountered. She knew the meaning of building customer relationships. I’m lifting a margarita in toast to you, my friend.
Question for you: do your employees foster that kind of relationship with each customer?
