How many can honestly say this headline is the attitude you have with every customer? In any business, people may think they are properly serving their clientele, but most don’t know how. I’m going to share with you a letter passed along to me by a high-end dealer and dear friend of mine so you have an example of how this works.

BUDDY TRINKLE-TRINKLE DESIGN ASSOCIATES

My friend, Buddy Trinkle, of Trinkle Design Associates in Rhode Island, I met many years ago at a seminar I was conducting in Dalton. Buddy is the kind of guy who asks a million questions, almost to the point of distraction, because he wants to learn. He uses his knowledge to foster better relationships with customers and improve his business. The letter follows:

EXAMPLE OF THE FINEST IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

“Dear Buddy:

“On behalf of my wife and myself, I want to truly thank you for your personalized efforts relating to the wall-to-wall carpet installation your company performed in the new addition to our home.

“It is only when things start to go a little awry during a project and one knows his contractor is giving it more than his all that it makes sense to tell him how much it was appreciated. Being a contractor myself, sometimes it’s very frustrating to try to correct a problem you didn’t really create, but only you can fix. “While I think we both developed a few gray hairs over the color problems we had with the manufacturer of this [product], you never wavered from your, “You will be satisfied” approach. Your statement to us that you have never installed a defective product will remain intact. You and your staff should be applauded for that.

“Speaking of your installers, we [would like to] praise them for being sensitive to your customers. Their attitude was always very professional. “We are so pleased with the results in the bedroom. You more than kept your promise; we are certainly very satisfied. You will hear from us again, and we will recommend you to others. Please feel free to print this letter as a recommendation of your firm.”

This type of service is not a fluke to Buddy. No one I know is more obsessed with making sure his customers get the best service available. His installers are part of his team, not just a necessary evil. Buddy’s store looks like an art gallery, not a carpet establishment. He serves both high-end clients and the commercial market with the same, impeccable service.

You may be saying, “Yeah, right. This guy has never installed a piece of defective carpet in a customer’s home. Who is he kidding?” It’s not that Buddy’s never received a piece of defective carpet-defective carpet is as common as the nose on your face-but he’s never installed it. He catches problems before they get to the installation site. His people inspect the product, fix it if required, make adjustments in the layout, or call the customer to explain the problem.

He calls the mill to complain, probably makes its people cringe in the process, but does what he has to for his customers. This he does up front, and his customer base knows how he operates. You can see by the letter, his referral customers get the word on him before they do business with him. No amount of advertising you ever do will sell for you like this type of referral.

When you get referrals like this, you don’t have to be concerned about being a price merchandiser. This type of customer is not looking for the lowest price. Buddy handles high-end products like Fabrica, a company which doesn’t understand the meaning of the word “defect,” along with most high-end lines like Couristan woven goods and a full array of the top commercial carpet providers. He can have confidence selling, since he knows he is dealing with people who think the way he does.

Buddy has chosen a niche in which to operate that is rewarding, service-oriented, and profitable, and satisfies his customers to no end. Though you may not want to operate in this area, you can learn from his example. It goes a long way in showing why Buddy has no concern for the big box stores, buying groups, or price merchandisers. He’s taken a completely different approach, one which has endeared him to his customers and rewarded him with loyalty.

I offer you this to help you learn to be more customer service-oriented, more attuned to refusing to be intimidated by defective goods, and in the process, to increase your profits to reward you for your hard work.