The owner of my local coffee shop tells me he travelled from the UK to Italy to visit three potential suppliers and try their coffee blends before making a selection for his shop. That's the attention to detail and eye for customer service I like.
My central heating engineer explained in uncomplicated detail why a larger and very different type of gas boiler was better suited to my needs and PROMISED me, yes PROMISED me that, although more expensive to buy and install would save me money over the winter. He also installed when he said he would and took exactly the length of time he predicted. He was right about the savings too!
So why does my bank bombard me with jargon and change the conditions of service whenever they want? Why do politicians never answer a straight question with a straight answer? Why are the 'experts' at my computer outlet not able to supply what I ask for when they ask me what I want? "What are you looking for?" he asked. "I want an Intel Duo 2, running at 2.1 with 4GB Ram and 500GB hard drive", was my response. Why did he then try and sell me a laptop running at 1.6 with 3GB Ram and a 320GB hard drive? Was he trying to test my patience?
Some service/product suppliers seem to have a natural inclination towards relationship management - without any formal training or development yet others (whom you might expect had been exposed to such development) merely seem to pay lip-service to the concept.
Business owners (entrepreneurs) know the value of customer loyalty and recommendations for future business but many working for large organisations don't seem to have the same vested interest - though their job security and prospects must also depend on the organisation's survival and growth.
What is relationship management and how best then to nurture it? Think about any relationship - you and your partner; you and your children; you and your co-workers; you and your customers. In our relationships we have expectations - though these are often not specified or made obvious. In good healthy relationships we also have trust. If we don't have trust, what is the basis for the relationship? If I can't trust my partner or my child or my co-worker to do what they say or to be where they say, when they say (keep a commitment) or not to do something (keep their commitment), what is the value of the relationship?
If my customers cannot trust what I say or cannot rely on my delivery promises how can I hope to maintain an effective client relationship?
From your dealings with customers today, write down 3 things you could have done differently (better) to improve the relationship; to help maintain the business, that would have made you feel better about yourself and them.
From your dealings with suppliers today, write down 3 things they did or said that improved your relationships with them.
Reflect and take the learning with you.
Do this every day for the next couple of weeks and see what happens to your relationship management.
It's more than this of course but this could be a good beginning.
My central heating engineer explained in uncomplicated detail why a larger and very different type of gas boiler was better suited to my needs and PROMISED me, yes PROMISED me that, although more expensive to buy and install would save me money over the winter. He also installed when he said he would and took exactly the length of time he predicted. He was right about the savings too!
So why does my bank bombard me with jargon and change the conditions of service whenever they want? Why do politicians never answer a straight question with a straight answer? Why are the 'experts' at my computer outlet not able to supply what I ask for when they ask me what I want? "What are you looking for?" he asked. "I want an Intel Duo 2, running at 2.1 with 4GB Ram and 500GB hard drive", was my response. Why did he then try and sell me a laptop running at 1.6 with 3GB Ram and a 320GB hard drive? Was he trying to test my patience?
Some service/product suppliers seem to have a natural inclination towards relationship management - without any formal training or development yet others (whom you might expect had been exposed to such development) merely seem to pay lip-service to the concept.
Business owners (entrepreneurs) know the value of customer loyalty and recommendations for future business but many working for large organisations don't seem to have the same vested interest - though their job security and prospects must also depend on the organisation's survival and growth.
What is relationship management and how best then to nurture it? Think about any relationship - you and your partner; you and your children; you and your co-workers; you and your customers. In our relationships we have expectations - though these are often not specified or made obvious. In good healthy relationships we also have trust. If we don't have trust, what is the basis for the relationship? If I can't trust my partner or my child or my co-worker to do what they say or to be where they say, when they say (keep a commitment) or not to do something (keep their commitment), what is the value of the relationship?
If my customers cannot trust what I say or cannot rely on my delivery promises how can I hope to maintain an effective client relationship?
From your dealings with customers today, write down 3 things you could have done differently (better) to improve the relationship; to help maintain the business, that would have made you feel better about yourself and them.
From your dealings with suppliers today, write down 3 things they did or said that improved your relationships with them.
Reflect and take the learning with you.
Do this every day for the next couple of weeks and see what happens to your relationship management.
It's more than this of course but this could be a good beginning.
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