It’s The Little Things That Count
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
I spent some time today with a friend in Adelaide. She owns a couple of what I would call a flash boutique shops. Now I should explain that for me clothes shopping is not a favourite activity and most of my clothes do not cost in the triple figures, that is over $100. Looking round my friends shop while she served customers I didn’t see anything in my price range, it was all triple figure stuff and some lovely items.
I looked at the clothes to see what made them worth so much more and as I say there were some clothes that you certainly wouldn’t see in K Mart or Target. They were well made out of some gorgeous materials. As I spent time there listening and watching I realised that this was only part of the story of where the value lies.
Relationships and the little things are what makes the difference. Go to K Mart or Target and it is all self service and neither of these things. Go to some of the other boutique chains and you will start to get some assistance, depending on the shop. You may get help in choosing the clothes and advice on what goes with what etc.
Now in my friends shop she has taken it one step further. Most of the customers that come in are repeat business. She often knows their size and preference in clothes. She rings them when certain clothes come in to let them know. She knows her stock and knows what is coming in so she can advise them to come back in a few weeks if they are looking for something particular. She understands which customers need the time to browse, which ones need constant attention and so on. Being a customer in her shop is a whole experience, you are looked after and valued. It is no wonder that so many of them have been shopping there for years and keep coming back.
I think every one of us can learn from this. We all provide service in some way at some time, whether it is part of our work or part of our family life. You can cook a quick meal and slap it down on the table in front of the rest of the family or you could put some effort into the meal, remembering who likes what etc. You could then serve it with a smile. It is only a little thing, again it is building your relationships.
In business this is essential to try and build up your repeat customers. It is Napolean Hill’s ninth Law of Success – The Habit Of Doing More Than Paid For. So think about your life and whether you are doing the little things to build the relationships that are important to you.
