Winning lifetime ever lasting relationships isn’t based on a single mammoth act. You build ever-lasting relationships by never letting up on the servicing of your customers. On the other hand, anyone who fails to provide good service will never realize the building process that comes with establishing a solid base of customers and the fine reputation that ensues!
I know firsthand that people are willing to pay a premium for outstanding service. Again and again, I’ve been told, “Joe, I shopped around before coming to see you, and I’ve got you beat by a hundred bucks. But, I’m going to buy from you because there’s one thing nobody else can give me, and that’s you Joe.” When I hear a comment of this nature, it’s the most flattering compliment I could receive.
I made a promise to them right then and there that I would be there for them if they ever needed anything.
If they had a service issue, I know this may sound odd to some of you, but I actually relished the opportunity to make things right with a customer. While most of the salespeople would look for a rock or another person to hide behind when a disappointed customer approached them, I saw it as the first step toward securing the next sale. I loved it!
There’s a huge expense involved in obtaining a new account, so once one is established, you can’t afford to lose it. Repeat sales are so easy and require little effort in comparison to the first time these customers were sold. Considering the amount of time it takes to generate a good lead, no salesperson can afford to lose established customers because of poor servicing. It is many more times expensive and time consuming to gain a brand-new customer than it is to save an old one. Excellence in servicing customers during and after the sale has everything to do with closing sales—future sales.
You must remember that your job isn’t simply to go from sale to sale, putting all of your effort into developing new customers—you must make the time to take care of your existing customers. When you give steady reliable service and keep in constant contact with your customer, whenever a problem does occur, you can work with him to solve it. People are truly grateful for the extra effort you put into servicing them, and they don’t forget it when the time comes to buy again.
What ultimately assures success is the quality of service rendered. The payoff comes with REPEAT business and referrals by satisfied customers. When you consider how many cars a satisfied customer buys during his or her lifetime, the first one is just the tip of the iceberg. Not to mention how many friends and family members a contented customer will refer to you!
