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Customer Loyalty—A Bargain! |
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Written by Don Cooper
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Wednesday, 24 May 2006 |
Customer Loyalty—A Bargain
By Don Cooper
Remember when 25 cents was really worth something? Here are a few things you CAN’T buy for a quarter anymore:
• Loaf of bread
• Candy bar
• Phone call
• Deck of cards
• Shoe shine
• Can of soda
• Newspaper
• Ice cream cone
• Birthday card
• Comic book
• Cup of coffee
• Baseball cards
But 25 cents is still enough to buy a heaping helping of customer loyalty. A recent example: I stopped at a downtown store to make a purchase, but didn’t have any coins for the parking meter. When I mentioned this to the store owner and asked him for change for a dollar, he replied, “The enforcement on the meters ends in 20 minutes, so you only need a quarter.” He then opened the cash drawer, took out a quarter and handed it to me.
Was I surprised? You bet. Was I impressed? Absolutely. Did the gesture more than pay for itself? Well, I ended up buying more than I had planned to, and I definitely intend to return there. Oh yeah, and I’ve told a whole bunch of people about the place, too.
You don’t need a lot of money to secure your customers’ loyalty. A little time, energy and imagination—with a just a dash of generosity thrown in—is all it takes. Just show your customers you care about them. When people feel cared about, they feel important. And when they feel important, they buy more.
Can you think of a better investment for a quarter?
Don Cooper is an internationally-recognized sales expert who helps companies of all shapes and sizes dramatically increase their sales. He conducts seminars, runs annual sales meetings and trains sales and customer service teams. He is a contributing author of Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters with Debbie Allen and Jay Conrad Levinson. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Myth of Price: Why You Should Charge More and How to Do It.
For information about booking Don to speak to your group, please call 303-832-4248 or e-mail
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You can also find free articles, tips and other information at www.DonCooper.com.
* 2007 Don Cooper. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted, intact, as long as the full byline is included. To request a photo to print with the byline, please call 303-832-4248 or e-mail
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