Phil doesn't really care about American Express.

Why should he care? I mean it's just a credit card
after all. Sure it's got a few benefits and features
and stuff that other credit cards don't have, but
that's not enough to make Phil yodel about
American Express.

===================================
Yet recently, Phil's been yodelling
===================================
Suddenly, Phil's become what you'd call an accidental
evangelist. Suddenly, he talks more about American
Express than he'd like to admit.

===================================
It all started when Phil moved home
===================================
Early in June, Phil moved. And like we all do when
we move, Phil informed everyone (including Amex) that
they needed to change his home address.

================================================
What happened next, surprised the heck out of Phil
================================================
In his mailbox sat a voucher for $50. Congratulations
on your new home, said the note from Amex. And tell me,
wouldn't you be smiling from ear to ear, if you
got a housewarming gift, before your boxes were unpacked.

=================
Amex isn't alone
=================
There's a hotel. I forget their name (and shame on me
for forgetting!) that engages their customers as they
walk through the lobby enroute to their room.

================================================
One such customer wasn't exactly cheerful on arrival
================================================
She seemed upset. Hassled, even. So the receptionist
asked the customer what was wrong. "I've had a hideous
day. The flight was delayed. I had to cancel my appointments
and it's the end of the day, and nothing's achieved."

================================================
Ten minutes later, this very customer was smiling
================================================
Nah, maybe more than a smile, her face bordered on a grin.
Because as she checked into her room, sighing, her eyes
fell on a box of chocolates and a little note.

================================
Nope, it wasn't a sec*ret admirer
================================
The note said, "We're sorry you had such a rotten day.
We hope this box of chocolates will cheer you up. Compliments
from ..........(the hotel whose name I forgot!)

=============================================
Poof! They created the Accidental Evangelist
============================================
Yeah, yeah, I know. You don't run a hotel. And you
don't own a credit card company. And the options for you
to create evangelists, accidental or not, are few and far
in between.

==============================
Ok, so tell me another one...
==============================
Because you've not been listening. As in paying attention
to your customers -- because customers are sure telling you
really important stuff all the time.

"Hi Jill," they say, "Can we re-schedule our meeting, as
I can't make it today. My son is ill and needs to be taken
to the doctor." Or "Hi, Mark," they say, "It's my birthday
next week, and my spouse is taking me out to lunch, so...."

===========================================
Have the lights gone on in your brain yet?
===========================================
Sure they have, because you're one smart cookie :). And yes,
you've had dozens of reasons and seasons, to create the
accidental evangelist. And yes, you can play Santa in July,
if only you'd listen.

=============================================
Every darn company out there fails to listen
============================================
Because companies don't listen. People do. Companies send
silly greeting cards at Christmas time. People listen and
act on specific situations. And when they (as in you and
me, act) the customer is startled, bemused, surprised,
excited and suddenly there's a smile on the customer's
face.

It's warm. It's radiant. It's the kind of smile that
could un-chill a freezing winter's night.

Stand back and enjoy the glow. You've just created the
accidental evangelist.

Copyright 2005, www.pyschotactics.com

Always listen to your customers, be they internal ones (work colleagues for instance) or external ones.

So Hugmaster, how is your day going so far?

I was talking to Kingy about this when we met up a few weeks ago.

I reguarally send flowers to customers and have had some very nice handmade cards made up (Thank you Mrs Brian Mole !) which are blank inside.

Congratulations on your wedding day
Happy Birthday
Happy engagement

From ADS Entertainments

They keep it, they remember it, it cost pence to do, but you will get bookings from it.

Chocolates work well too, in fact I am in the process of getting some hand made chocolate sent to someone as a thank you for your booking at the moment.

Very good points.

If you want to read more of the same I'd recommend a book that's getting old but is full of real tips that have worked:

"What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School : Notes From A Street-Smart Executive" by Mark H. McCormack.

Very good read and he did alright out of putting it into practice LOL

Jack.

What did I do Chris ?