A Lesson in Taking Care of ALL your Customers

Last August, Devyn asked can we go to the park, can we go bye-bye. All I can think about is the fact that it is 110 outside. SO I told her after her nap. As soon as she woke up, she said….Park…Park… I told her yes, or else I would have to hear park for the next 3 hours. Not that it gets any cooler after 5pm. It does not cool down this time of year until well, September! At midnight it is still over 100 degrees.

We dressed for the park and packed the car, put on her sandals, packed toys, lots of bottled water and headed for the park. I decided that we would have sandwiches instead of the normal McDonalds because it was just too hot for a hamburger. I went to a local Italian pasta and sandwich shop in a strip mall, that I have ordered sandwiches from before and every time I received bad service. The owner is behind the counter, mad that the business is not flourishing… and just plain grumpy.

Hannah Montana’s Wig
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that Devyn’s favorite TV show was Hannah Montana. I know, she was only 2 but loved when Miley puts on the wig and changes into Hannah. Well, Devyn puts a baby blanket on her head to be her wig.

I know we look crazy going into the sandwich shop. Me – with the George Forman t-shirt on that is 2 sizes too big and my favorite weekend jeans with a hole in the knee, and Devyn as cute as she is with the doggone blanket on her head. I certainly don’t look like a million dollar business owner. Or the leading authority on business building for women….

Standing ordering in the shop were a group of seniors out on a Sunday. They ordered pasta dishes that included salads. It was time for me and Devyn to order and the owner took my sandwich order and told me it would be 15 minutes. .. 15 minutes????? For a sandwich?

Who are you $7…. And your kid has a blanket on her head?
He basically said to me that he wanted to take care of his other orders first. Even though, he could have made their salads and then made my sandwich. They were there to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. It would have been ok to have them wait , but he figured. Who is this girl with the $7 sandwich? And the kid with the blanket on her head??

Turns out, as I was waiting…the group commented on how cute Devyn was and I asked do they go out each Sunday. They replied, yes, they try out different restaurants. I then asked how often do you return to a restaurant. They told me NEVER because Las Vegas has so many. After 10 minutes and he still had not started my sandwich, I decided to cancel my order and leave.

What was the owner really losing?

The lesson – Be careful taking right now money – it may not be the best for your business.

I have been to this shop with a client (bad service then too) , I returned for a consultation with the client and instead of making dinner that night, I ordered again. And this time was my third trip.

Here are his top 3 mistakes:

1. Not taking my information the first time I entered the store and encouraging my return visits by giving me a coupon, a rewards card, something to identify me as a repeat customer.
2. Being grumpy in the first place – if you can not handle every customer as if they are the POPE, hire someone who can
3. Assuming that the group’s money was more valuable than mine. Basically considering me as a little fish and throwing me back in the water. I had spent combined in the 3 times I visited more than the group spent on their one occasion.

A final lesson – remember there are only 3 ways to grow your business.

Add new customers
Get customers to return more often
Have customers spend more

I was number 2! But, it is his loss. We don’t plan to return with or without the blanket.