What do you want when you’re the customer? 
What a simple benchmark, and one that we should all strive for when we’re serving customers. So why is it so hard for others to use such a simple benchmark? I think it’s just a matter of paying attention. Too many people are just skating through their day with no thought other than getting to the end of their shift. There seems to be no sense of ownership. Years ago businesses were family-run and people understood the value of good customer service. The store, and the people who worked there, were a package deal. They greeted you when you came in, they thanked you when you left, and encouraged you to “come on back and see us”.
What a simple benchmark, and one that we should all strive for when we’re serving customers. So why is it so hard for others to use such a simple benchmark? I think it’s just a matter of paying attention. Too many people are just skating through their day with no thought other than getting to the end of their shift. There seems to be no sense of ownership. Years ago businesses were family-run and people understood the value of good customer service. The store, and the people who worked there, were a package deal. They greeted you when you came in, they thanked you when you left, and encouraged you to “come on back and see us”.So what’s changed?
I think it’s a short term outlook. The feeling that this is only temporary, so why care. Whether temporary or not we should all care. My list of job stops is long and circuitous. I didn’t know it at the time, but each of those jobs provided valuable lessons in customer service.
I’ve spoken over the years about the DIY (Do it Yourself) wedding couple. While many weddings have some element that was done by someone involved in the wedding (family and/or friends) there’s rarely a wedding that’s truly all DIY. Did her mom make the wedding dress? Did his/her aunt cook the food? Did his friend take the pictures or play the music? More likely they made the programs, possibly decorative items for the tables or church.
I received a very nice email the other day from a wedding pro who’s heard many of my webinars and live presentations. She was thanking me for a tip which she had heard me say, many times, but hadn’t acted on, until recently. The tip was to end each email with a question so the recipient is more likely to answer. Now that she’s ending her emails with one question, her response rate and conversion have increased (which was the whole idea). Here’s her email to me:
The beginning of the year not only signals an influx of newly engaged couples, it also serves as a psychological switch for many 2015 and 2016 upcoming wedding couples to resume the planning process after a post Thanksgiving through Christmas hiatus.
The holidays are always a busy time for engagements, and then comes the January rush of visits to websites… hopefully yours. So, is your website ready to convert that traffic into inquiries, appointments and then sales? You’re only going to get one chance to make that first impression.
