Just got back from the vet. Let me back up for a few months. We had to put our best friend to sleep last year. Our vet actually asked if we wanted her to come to the house, and we said that would be great. She came fully prepared, had all the things needed to make the last transition for Pixie. Pixie was about 14, had cancer, it had gotten bad. So we did the hard thing. Actually the vet did.
A couple of days later, we got a delivery. A book, card and a plant from our vet. Now, I realize it was probably all part of the package, but it really made us feel better. The plant is still on the office window sill, reminding us of Pixie, who used to love to sit in the office. The book spoke to how pets love us unconditionally, yet ask so little in return. Good stuff.
We waited a few months, decided to get another puppy. My daughter-in-law actually did all the investigative work, found a breeder with some new yellow labs, we picked one out, took delivery. So now we have this new little creature, all fur and fun, lots of energy. When she turned 4 months, we took her to our vet, get some shots, check out her vitals, that sort of thing. She came out with a clean bill of health, all the employees were thrilled to see the new puppy.
That evening we got a call from the vet. She asked how Poppy was doing, after her first big visit, three shots, all the excitement. It was a...
Pleasant Surprise. In this day of fast service, where we only have a few minutes of interaction with the vendor, it is unexpected when someone follows up and asks how did we do? Just for the record, the bill was a little over $100. Not $1800, where you would think, major customer, gotta do something different. The girl who called had met Poppy, she seemed genuine when she asked about her health and how she was doing. Poppy is doing fine, I told her. She thanked me for bringing her in, told me they were honored we had chosen them when we brought in our new puppy, starting a new relationship with our family.
So here is the application. What do you do when a new customer comes across your door? Do you thank them, act pleased that they would honor you by selecting your company to do business with? Or does someone actually call them later to be sure it all went well? No matter if they spent $100 or $2000 with you.
Not enough people on staff, you may say. Yes, it does take a minute or two. In fact, if you are busy, and had 10 customers that day (new or not!), that may add up to 15 minutes. That may be the best use of 15 minutes you could ever imagine. To cement the relationship, where you don't get a satisfied customer (they are expecting you will do what you said), no, you get a raving fan. One who tells his friends what a great company you are. A customer for life, in the words of Carl Sewell. More about him at a later date. For now, think of ways to WOW your customers, ways to deliver a...Pleasant Surprise.
Thanks for listening, we'll talk later.
