Chalk up another new source for learning or reinforcing
marketing lessons: HGTV. Yes, that HGTV, the cable TV network. On occasion, I
will find myself watching HGTV shows with my wife. A recent chance encounter
with an episode of
Love It or List It
reinforced an important aspect about managing customer relationships. The
format of the program is that a designer and realtor work with homeowners
deciding whether to renovate a home or move to another. The end result is the
homeowner will either love the renovation and stay or find a new home to be too
irresistible and list their home for sale.
The homeowners featured in the episode I watched recently were
weighing the stay or move dilemma, but both the designer and realtor knew they
had their work cut out for them to please this couple. The tipoff? The home
that the couple owned currently was chosen after looking at 255 houses. I don’t
think I have been in 255 houses in my life, much less look at that many when
deciding to buy one! After watching a few minutes of the program, it was
understandable why they looked at so many houses – both the husband and wife
had specific desires and demands for which there was no negotiation.
Yes, the program was for entertainment, but the behavior of
the homeowners probably was not an act. They were hard to please, perhaps an
extreme case of a difficult customer, but a drain on a business’s resources,
nonetheless. One of the hardest lessons for me to learn in the earlier days of
my professional career was that all customers are not equal. I wanted to like
everyone, treating all customers the same. And, if there were customers that
were not as profitable or took too much effort to serve, I was confident that I
was the salesperson who could change the relationship and bring them along. Not
all customers are equal, I came to understand. Some customers are more valuable
and loyal; they deserve to be treated as a priority. Less valuable customers
are not to be ignored, but they are serviced in a manner consistent with their
value to the organization.
The take away from Love
It or List It for marketers is to like exceedingly, love strategically.
Having friends is great, and social media gives businesses a forum for making
friends with customers and others regardless of their financial worth to the
firm. But, realize that some customers are more important than others and
should be treated accordingly. Tactics such as assigning dedicated customer
service personnel, customized products, and rewards of merchandise or credit
are examples of how valuable customers’ worth can be acknowledged. Determine which
customers should receive the most love and show it to them. In other words,
love strategically.
Labels: Customer Relationships