As you may know from my blog, I am currently attending Yanik Silver's Underground Internet Marketing Seminar in Washington, D.C. I'm meeting so many brilliant and fascinating people, and I'm constantly learning more about ways to grow my business, and ultimately help YOU grow your business online!
Anyhow, I just got back from lunch at Subway.
Subway is NOT my restaurant of choice. I ate there by default. You may like it, but it's blech to me.
The first place I and my cohorts tried was closed. So we passed intially passed by the Subway.
Instead, we found an open bar & grill just a few steps away.
The sign at the front said, "Please wait to be seated", but as there was no attendant at the ready, the three of us sat at a table for six, the only table that could accomodate us.
An employee finally came to the table as we settled in, and she asked if we would like to be seated in the bar area where she had a table for four. I replied that I would rather not since my sinuses are really bothering me and the cigarette smoke would really be a bad thing.
She told me that we could NOT sit at the table for six!
I said, "Do you mean you won't serve me?"
She shrugged her shoulders, which I took to mean "no", just as a larger man approached our threesome. I assumed he was either the manager or the owner of this fine dining establishment. He also informed us that we could not sit at the table for six and they would accomodate us in the bar area.
I looked at him and thought to myself...
"You have three PAYING customers ready to hand you their money and you won't take it because we might infringe on a space this MAY possibly be used for more customers?"
My next thought was...
"What an idiot"
We got up and went to the Subway next door. I knew I had to write about it when I came back to my hotel room.
The moral of the story?
Take care of your customers! Whether you actually sell product or earn your money from your site visitors, treat each one of them like they are important. You will turn a prospect into a customer, and a customer into a customer for life.
Joel,
This type of treatment is becoming all too common in today's world. I co-own a pizza restaurant with my father and our customers are treated like royalty, no exceptions. They know this and continue to come back and tell their friends and family about it.
I remember hearing a saying that for every negative experience a person has they will tell 20 people about it and for every person who has a great experience they only tell 3.
This just goes to show, owning a business is all about trying to please every customer you have. It's hard work, but worth it in the end.
I'm a minister's wife--in addition to my writing that I do--and the lesson from your restaurant experience is definitely one we have to remember in church work. It is crucial that we treat people well.
Jesus did--saint and sinner alike. His is our example to follow.
Shirley Buxton
Shirleybuxton.com
www.writenow@wordpress.com