We’re in the business of online marketing and search engine optimization so you might wonder why I want to talk about customer service. Because it is a cornerstone to your success and I want to tell a story about a recent experience.
You work hard to attract people to your business or website, so how do you keep them coming back? How do you get to the point that they come to you first, without bothering to check out all your competitors, and tell their friends about you. We found a business that knows the secret.
Last week we taught an SEO workshop in Calgary. We were in a hotel just a few blocks off 17th Ave SW, where a friend and long-time Calgary resident told us we’d find lots of great places to eat. With 6 days of lunches and dinner to buy we thought we’d want variety so we checked it out. We enjoyed the food and made note of the names of a few other restaurants we wanted to try.
The next day time was limited over lunch so we went to Ric’s Grill at 8th St. and 14th Ave SW, simply because it was closer to the hotel. It was so good we went back, and after our second or third meal we decided not to bother going anywhere else. Ric’s got the remainder of our business for lunch, dinner and drinks. We had no interest in going anywhere else.
How did they do this? Was it the food? It was fantastic, but we knew there was other great food to be had nearby. Prices? No, they were similar to the competition. It was the service. The staff were friendly, attentive, had a great memory for what we liked and made us feel so welcome it might as well have been our own private restaurant.
Once, on a particularly busy night, the service was a little bit slower than we’d come to expect, although still quite acceptable. The next day our server CJ made sure we were treated to an appetizer on the house. She felt we had received less than her best and wanted to make it up. It was hardly necessary since we were already hooked on the place and didn’t mind in the least. But she took what could have been a negative and made sure it was a positive. If we had been impressed before we were doubly so now.
I plan to visit that restaurant every time I am in Calgary, and I will be trying their other locations too. Well done, Ric’s. You have a fan. Special thanks to servers CJ, Sarah and Kat. (We’re sending a link to your boss.)
Whether you do business online, offline or both, customer attitudes can make or break you. If you’re starting an SEO business, or any business for that matter, set honest expectations for your clients. Fulfil all your promises. Over deliver. If you make a mistake, make it right. Bend over backwards to make sure your customers are looked after. Make them happy and they’ll make you successful.
