We had a lady and her daughter in the shop last night to use our PCs, we’re an Internet-Cafe-Bookshop. One of the computers had a touch of trouble and needed a reboot; wasted about 4 minutes of the hour she spent. I only charged her for the coffee not the Internet time. Now I’m sure the next time the topic of bookstores or Internet Cafes comes up in her daily life she’ll be pretty quick to let her friend know all about us and how nice a place it is. This could potentially give us one more lifelong customer translating into hundreds of dollars over the course of the relationship. This won’t happen for every customer but if you start looking at each customer as an opportunity you may start to see the effect.
Instead of racking your brain trying to decide between flyers that nobody will look at or a cross promotion with your neighbour that will cost more than it generates, pay more attention to the opportunities that walk right in your door.
You are invited to participate in my brand new weekly blog carnival, The Seventh Day. Details are here:http://www.hopefulspirit.com/2007/12/26/seventh-day/
Basically, you submit your best post from the prior week, i.e., the one that you would like to spotlight. I will provide the link to it and, hopefully, you will gain some new and additional readers! Simple! It’s just my way of engaging in some community good will and helping all of us expand our audiences.
Posts on any topic are welcome!
Happy New Year!
Hopeful Spirit
On the Horizon
I’ve found in the print shop where I work that treating people as friends is the best way to keep them as customers but also gives an opportunity to make new friends.
Some people this works well with yet others are “all business” Ignoring their “all business” attitude and continuing to be friendly (in a somewhat businesslike way) is the only way to get them to lighten up. Both sorts usually come back.
Giving handy, helpful free information and helping the customer in any way one can is also important.
I’ve been in book (and other type) stores wandering, looking for something, asked where is “???” and then have the clerk wave an arm and say, “Over there.” – My usual reply is, “I’ve been over there. Perhaps you can show me.”
The same time I ask that I also think that this store has lost me as a regular customer.