We may be business owners servicing or selling to clients and customers, but in our daily lives we also find ourselves in the position of customer or client, having something of ours service, or buying this or that. When the tables are turned, I often find myself thinking of the Golden Rule: you know, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Treat others like you want to be treated. That, to me, comes down to one word, in any business: honesty.
When I bought my first car new, I thought I’d give their service department a fair shake at doing my routine maintenance. After all, I felt like I was done fairly in the sale process, and I also figured no one would know my car better than the service department at the dealer.
I didn’t know I had so many red flags. Let me tell you, they all went up with that first visit. And it had nothing to do with my own car, or their service of my car. It had everything to do with how they treated a nice elderly lady who was in there for servicing. I sat in their waiting room and listened as they gave this poor woman a bunch of lines on how she needed this and that done and how it was unsafe to not have it done, and on and on. This nice old lady kept insisting that some of this had already been done not so long ago, but they pushed and leaned so hard that eventually she succumbed, and boy did they take her to the cleaners. Hell, it was even my car and my alarms were going off. I knew hers were, too, but her weaknesses and uncertainty were taken advantage of.
Needless to say it was the last time I went to the dealer for my servicing.
You see, I firmly believe that, even if the client doesn’t quite know what he or she needs, or what it should cost, or how long it should take, we all have a bullshit detector. We all have some sense that lets us know when we’re being dealt with fairly or unfairly. We know it in routine conversations that we have with friends, family, or our spouse, and we surely know it when we’re making a transaction of some sort, especially when larger sums of money are involved.
Give your client or customer a little more credit. Put yourself in his or her shoes. How would you want to be dealt with?
You may talk your way into a sale this time, but I really don’t think you’re fooling anyone but yourself. And that customer will leave with an unease, or a sense that he’s been swindled. I think that dishonesty gains you a client once. Honesty gains you a client for life.
Just one man’s opinion, folks!
Have a good day,
Ben
