"It's one thing to want to provide good customer service and another thing to do it."

Paul Winans, Consultant

Thou Shalt Never Forget The Customer

The source and the summit of your focus is the customer. In everything you do, in any decision that affects your business, if it isn't good for you and your customer, you need to question why you're doing it. Even if the issue doesn't drive at your foundational principles, consider how it could affect all your customers, including the trades and people who do business with you.

Thou Shalt Remember Customers Need Us

Customers come to us for one reason -- they need us, they need help. They don't always say or know it, but they do. They might be afraid or concerned, and they've read nothing positive about home building or remodeling. CNN will never report how many happy families bought homes in your community. But they will report on the one client who didn't get into his home on time. Remember that for the next 30 years you will pay for decisions you make right now. So even if you've faced this situation 100 times before, know that for your customers, it's a life-changing experience.

Thou Shalt Remember You Need Your Customers

After all, customers sell your business. If you don't have customers, you don't have a business. Without the customer, there's no reason to build homes. There's no reason to refine purchasing processes if you're not building for buyers. It doesn't do any good to train your superintendents to communicate better if you don't have any business. The customer is your best marketing source and more believable than any advertisement.

This week's tip is an excerpt from Loyalty is Love, How To Hold Clients Close For Life, by Beverly A. Koehn.

For more information, please go to www.loyaltyislove.com or www.bkoehn.com.