Date: April 1, 2009
We just had our third child and as before, I’ve been in awe of my wife. In the hospital on the big day as I tried (ineffectively) to ease pain and calm nerves, it occurred to me that the best relationships are not forged when times are good, they are forged when times are tough. While holding hands and being attentive wasn’t nearly as effective as an epidural, it’s the intangible things my wife will remember for years to come and we’ll be stronger for it.
Just like in our personal lives, challenging economic times can be just as powerful in forging long lasting and durable customer relationships. In fact, there’s no better time to earn loyalty and grow the business. Here are a few ideas to grow customer relationships that work especially well in tough times:
There are endless ideas, but they can be summed up in treating the customer like you would want to be treated. If we live and work the Golden Rule, especially when times are tough, we’ll have stronger and sustainable relationships to show for it when things turn around.