The famous author and poet Maya Angelou said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. I was reminded of her famous remark when I went to pay a lunch check at a local diner earlier this week and saw this big beautiful arrangement of roses on the counter. When I asked what the occasion was, the owner said it was a thank you gift from one of her customers. She told me the following story.
Are You Okay?
The sender of the flowers, Joe, was a regular customer at the diner, even more frequently after his wife died a few months ago. He had no children living nearby, was lonely, and came in at least three times a week for dinner, more for the company than for the food.
About two weeks ago, the owner noticed he had not been in for a whole week. Concerned, she started calling around and finally tracked him
down. He was okay, just nursing a twisted ankle. More to the point, he was very surprised – and touched beyond words — to get her call. He never thought he would be missed.
The flowers were his tangible way of saying thank you for noticing and caring about him. His feelings about what she did? Priceless. Clearly, he will be a customer of hers for life.
Priceless Comes in All Different Ways
On a less dramatic note, I split my time between New York City and the Hudson Valley. My city friends think I am nuts to give up the life and energy of the city and my Hudson Valley friends can’t fathom why I would waste life surrounded by the city’s noise and crowds.
A NYC real estate broker who I recently used is aware of how my city friends feel, so imagine how happy I was when he thought to send me an article from a British travel magazine (of all places), extolling the beauty and quality of life in the Hudson Valley! I, of course, loved the article.
I immediately sent it to all my city friends to show them yet again that I wasn’t crazy for spending time upstate. I also sent it to my local friends to remind them how lucky they were to be living upstate.
Bottom-line, I know several competent real estate brokers in the city. Guess which one, if asked, I would recommend first?
- Quality product? Essential.
- Service? Critical.
- Making Customers Feel Good? Priceless.
How many different ways do you make customers feel good about you?
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
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