Jane Handly: Would You Do Business With You?

This lesson has not been reviewed.

Please purchase the lesson to review.

How many of you believe you have loyal customers, can I see your hands? Are you sure? How do you know? After 25 years in this business I have finally decided that there is no such thing as a loyal customer and let me tell you why. You've probably noticed that I choose the color of my hair. You're saying really. When I was teaching school, my school children used to say, "Ms. Handly, do you know your hair is turning black next to the top of your head?" Sit down kid. Shut up.

For years, I went to the same hairdresser. She charges me $60 to dye my hair. I felt like I was worth it and went out and had more fun. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Well anyway, I had no problem with her, the product, or the price, except for one month she went on vacation and I got to the point of no return. I needed to get my hair dyed. Some of you know what I'm talking about. So I went to a hair shop right next to my house, just a pinch hit one time, and I'm going to tell you what happened.

I walked in. The receptionist stood up from behind her desk, came around, introduced herself, got my name-and what's my first thought? I should have asked how much this is going to cost. She said, "I'd like to introduce you to the chemist who's going to dye your hair. Excuse me, where am I? A chemist. They took me to the chemist who dyed my hair. Then they took me to a third person that shampooed my hair. She told me of the products she was using and said, "Oh, by the way, you can buy those there today." I thought, well I hope they take credit cards. Then the makeup artist comes over and she says, "Oh, we've messed up your makeup while we were working on your hair. I'd be glad to touch it up for you before you go back to work." I said, "No, just leave me alone." The manicurist came over and gave me her card. She said, "I'd be glad to do your nails sometime." I thought if I can get out of here without giving them my firstborn child, I will not go back. They gave me my ticket and I went back to the front desk. What did I tell you I was used to paying? Sixty dollars. Guess how much my bill was? Forty-five. Did I change hairdressers? Would I have changed for $60? "Yes." I would have changed for seventy-five. I thought it was going to cost me $100 to get out of there. My old hairdresser doesn't know where I went. I just never came back. She didn't make me mad and she didn't do anything wrong. Customers are fickle. You can't trust them to keep doing business with you even after years and years and years; somebody lures them away and we're like big ole fish. We get hooked and there we go. So that means that cycle of service, you have to take care of people constantly all the way around every single opportunity you get just hoping that they'll at least give good word of mouth and if they float off that somebody else will come back in.