I always select carefully where I buy goods and services, and I am a loyal customer to suppliers and service establishments that are fair, trustworthy, quality oriented, and appreciate my business. My household purchases are not very big, and my “fleet” consists of only two cars: my car and my wife’s. The following is a true story:

A few years back when I moved north of Toronto, my wife and I continued to service our two cars at my dealership where I had been taking our cars for many years. One day, my wife complained that her remote car key was not working well, and she needed a new battery. However, she did not want to drive all the way into the city to visit our customary dealer. I suggested that she stop at a dealer that was close to our home. After all, changing a small battery is not a complex repair. She was not comfortable with my suggestion because she thought the dealership would not be happy to do such a small job. In the end, avoiding the long drive with traffic was more important; she took my suggestion and visited the close-by dealer.

She was in for a pleasant surprise. The Service Advisor did not make her wait, changed the battery promptly, and insisted the service be on a complimentary basis. He also thanked her for dropping in. No questions asked. The free battery, at the time, was probably an +/- $8 charge. Not a big amount by any standard, but the prompt service and friendly welcome with no charge were an invitation to try this new, closer dealer for our car needs.

Fast forward 8 years.... Since that time, I have purchased and traded 3 cars, my wife and my son traded each a car. In addition, I’ve referred two friends to the dealership. Adding to these purchases, car maintenance for 8 years must be worth easily over three hundred thousand dollars. And that is how an $8 investment with some initiative and a customer focused attitude helped gain one dealership lifetime customers in a competitive marketplace and generate consistent and growing profitable revenues. (By the way, the Service Advisor has been promoted over the years. I am not too sure of his position, but he wears a tie now and continues to help the team stay focused on excellent customer service. He continues to be a pleasure to deal with!)

I may be oversimplifying, but in my first 23-year career heading four businesses, and my second, 25-year consulting career I have learned that success in business rests on two simple rules: serving your customers with excellence and managing your employees with respect.

Building trust and lasting relationships on both sides are two pillars of success. Staying up to date on marketplace changes, implementing innovative business models, leading by example, and using powerful new technologies are all important, of course, but unless you have a strong dedicated team and happy customers who keep on coming back, none of these tools are going to work. The solution is simple, the execution is not that easy for some.

Invest in your customers; invest in your employees and build lasting relationships. You will be richly rewarded.

(W-540)