Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Everyone has a favorite place. It may be the coffee shop, a restaurant, take-out stand or a wonderfully merchandised boutique that always has something that catches your eye. Think about the places you go to repeatedly. What is the draw? As with Cheers, you walk in and everybody knows your name. It makes you feel good about being there. You know if you forgot your wallet, the owners of your favorite establishment would trust you to pay them later. It is likely that you are treated better than most other customers at the places you repeatedly frequent. You may get a little extra here or there as a way to thank you for your ongoing patronage.

Consider your repeat customers. Does your team know the names of designers, architects, builders and installers who frequent your showroom repeatedly? Returning customers are not just looking for the latest and greatest products. They return because of the positive engagement and experiences they have with your showroom and your staff. Every time a repeat customer crosses your threshold, your relationship deepens. You know what they like, what they need and what they desire. Because of your intimate knowledge of how they operate and what makes them tick, you are more valuable and can therefore provide a better level of service than the showroom down the street that has no relationship with them whatsoever.  After all, it's hard to have a deep relationship with a web site.

The lessons for showrooms:

 

• Pay attention to the little extras and quality of service that you receive from the places where you are a repeat customer. What brings you back? What qualities can you take back to your showroom?

• Make sure that each engagement with a repeat customer deepens the relationship and makes you more important to them and them more important to you.

• What value-added services and extras can you provide to those who are your best customers?

• What do you do that promotes emotional attachments with your customers? How can you make those actions scale?