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I am your customer

By Patrick Healy February 17, 2012

 

I am your customer

I am someone that you should appreciate and hope to develop a relationship with

I don’t want to be ‘sold’, I want information

I am not an annoyance, I am someone you should be happy to educate on your business and the things you offer

I am not someone for you to match wits with

I am not someone to lie to, deceive, bait-and-switch, or otherwise treat differently than your own mother

 

I am your customer

I am six to seven times more expensive to acquire than to retain

I have rights – that should not be the thing that keeps you following the law

I expect to get what I pay for

I don’t forget things as easily as I used to

 

I am your customer

I am a person, not a lead

I do not like being dripped

I do not like restocking fees

I do not like being nickel-and-dimed or being hit with nuisance fees – do better pricing strategy

I do not like being gouged – you may get me once but probably not twice (see my above comment about retention vs. acquisition)

I will grow resentful if you do these things to me

 

I am your customer

You should be listening to me. In fact, you should be ASKING me for my opinion. It’s valuable.

Customer service is an art. It requires more than simply answering the phone

I can’t spend money with you if I don’t trust you

I talk to my friends after I talk to you – they trust me

I have a voice – and I’m not afraid to use it

 

I am your customer

You need me more than I need you

I am the lifeblood of your business

I deserve your time and respect

I deserve your honesty

I am your customer

 

The last time you had a positive experience interacting with a business, I’m betting that the way they approached you was in line with these points. And I’m betting that you are going to think of them first the next time you have a need they can fill – and you may even call them if it’s outside of what they normally do because you want to work with them again.

It doesn’t matter if it’s B2B or B2C, this ideology is universal. People want to be treated honestly and fairly. They want you to over-deliver. They want you to be passionate, knowledgeable, sincere. They want to fall in love with you. Every customer is unique but they all have these needs in common.

I did not write this to offend anyone but if it did then perhaps you may want to rethink your business. Reread the above points as a customer. Customers are becoming more savvy, more technical, and less tolerant of businesses that don’t do what these above points convey. You are a customer. What do you do when these points are not met?


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Posted Under:  Blog | Business Tags:  business | consumerism | customer service | ethics | ideology | inspiration | sales | trust

Comments

  1. Joe Spake says

    February 17, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    We all need this reminder often Patrick.  It seems that many marketers, especially real estate agents are hardwired for Push Marketing  (or as Seth Godin would say, Interruption Marketing).  The new successes in marketing are about engagement.  But Doc Searls and friends were saying that 12 years ago in Cluetrain – “All markets are conversations”

    • Patrick Healy says

      February 17, 2012 at 8:27 pm

      Too true @joespake:disqus . It seems like all this short term, this quarter now, thinking is actually becoming what many feel are reality. The sense of entitlement to your business is amazing. I’m always surprised at how little sales people know about their own products and services. When I can give you more info than you can give me, one of two things should happen: you get retrained or you leave the business.

  2. Jmurrweiss says

    February 20, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    A great reminder for all. The customer is the life of our business and they all deserve VIP service whether there buying a 100K home or a million.

    • Patrick Healy says

      February 20, 2012 at 6:01 pm

      So true! It goes hand in hand with an earlier post I wrote about the consumer not being represented. I am surprised the percentage based commission model hasn’t give way to the flat fee yet. It costs nothing more to sell a $750K home vs a $350K one. Do agents put in LESS effort for a cheaper house? If the answer is yes then they are fired.

      • Alin Zdroba says

        March 22, 2012 at 12:10 pm

         What are your thoughts as to why it hasn’t happened?  It’s been tried over and over, without much success…why?
        Maybe these are questions deserving of a full post.

        • Patrick Healy says

          March 22, 2012 at 1:00 pm

          That well may be the case. I really don’t know. I know it appeals to the consumer for sure.  I can’t say I’d be rushing to cut my commission on a more expensive home though if I were a realtor. It would be hard to say ‘sell your house for $1000 in Memphis but $20K in NJ”. Hard to explain that to the consumer. 

  3. Sueasmith07 says

    February 21, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    Great read – I had to share with my FB Friends!

    • Patrick Healy says

      February 21, 2012 at 12:30 pm

      Share away!

  4. Tina says

    February 29, 2012 at 9:32 am

    Sometimes – no matter how long we have been in this profession…we need a reminder !
    thank you.
    tina.

  5. Mmlafortune says

    March 1, 2012 at 9:37 am

    What a concept and yes its not always easy but when we embrace this powerful culture we attract who we are becoming. Closing my books in 2011 with more foreigners than American born I experience a true comeback on clients base services.

    • Patrick Healy says

      March 1, 2012 at 10:11 am

      That’s not the first time I heard that this year. I’ve seen some of my colleagues have great success with foreign clients in 2011. Those with vision know that this is the time to get a good American bargain – it doesn’t come around often.

What Others Say About Us:

"In addition to being knowledgeable about social media, technology, and online marketing, Patrick Healy is knowledgeable about real business functions." – Ryan Hinricher of Investor Nation

"Patrick Healy's knowledge of online marketing dates back before Facebook, when Google was emerging as the disruptive technology marketers needed to leverage. With the rise of Facebook, he kept his skills sharp, honing his understanding of blogging, community, and social capital. He is a complete digital marketing guru." – Matt Browne of 

"Phacient was a great asset in the development stages of our company. They know the ins and outs of the industry and was able to guide us in ways that helped us avoid some real pitfalls." – Berry Enloe of REcake

"Phacient's Patrick Healy may be the most energetic, knowledgeable, up-to-date and pragmatic expert on social media whom I have encountered. His advice has proved invaluable to me." – Malcolm Carter of Charles Rutenberg Realty

"Patrick Healy is the type of person you want to connect with when need a subject matter expert or if you are looking for someone who can connect you to an expert, an equally important and overlooked attribute." – Chris Metzger of Blair Insurance Group 

"By partnering with Phacient it has helped us to expand our technological footprint in the PEO space by developing our most advanced website for prospects." – Tim Hillert of EasyPEO

"On a recent visit to New York City Patrick Healy introduced some key people to our company. Those connections are still paying dividends." – Berry Enloe of REcake

"My association with Patrick Healy has directly and positively affected my business." – Joe Sheehan of Weichert Realtors

"Patrick Healy is leading the digital media revolution. He is a complete digital marketing guru, with a robust skillset that translates into a deft competency to grow your brand online. Brands will be transformed by the Internet when working with Phacient and Patrick." – Matt Browne of SDBloggers

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"I've known Patrick Healy for approximately 5 years and heartily endorse him and his company, Phacient." – Joe Sheehan of Weichert Realtors

"I have worked directly with Patrick Healy and recommend him highly for his knowledge, integrity, and drive. Phacient will get the job done." – Joe Spake of Spake Communications 

"Patrick Healy has demonstrated great organizational and leadership skills as founder of the Lucky Striker Social Media Club, an industry trade group that meets regularly to discuss, develop, and promote marketing strategies with a focus on leveraging social media techniques and technologies." – Joe Sheehan of Weichert Realtors

"Phacient's inside industry knowledge led us to make some decisions that greatly aided us in the development stages of REcake.  Those insights continue to pay off today." – Berry Enloe of REcake

"To put it frankly, Patrick Healy knows what makes your business work day-in and day-out.  He's effective, efficient, and is a straight shooter.  Patrick Healy = High Value." – Ryan Hinricher of Investor Nation

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