Building the Customer Relationship

Developing a healthy professional relationship between a business and its customers is vital for the organization’s long-term success. Businesses are designed to serve customers and solve problems, so without customers, a business becomes aimless. That’s why it is so important to understand the value of building customer relationships. You provide them with a solution, and they provide you with revenue to keep the business running.

It takes time, commitment, and intentionality to develop a bond with your customers. You have to care about them on a deeper level than just a dollar amount, and in turn, they are more likely to show you brand loyalty and tell other people about your business. Think more about what the customer wants from you than what you want from them. This generates an exchange of value and helps you reach your desired outcomes naturally. Your business is a vehicle to serve the customer.

So that begs the question, is the customer always right? Absolutely not. There are times when you need to step in as a leader to protect your employees, even if that means politely turning away a customer. It’s alright to have standards for the people you serve. At the end of the day, we are all human, and we all have a job to do. If an individual is making it difficult for you to do that job, or if they only bring chaos every time they seek you out, you might want to recommend another business that might better suit their needs. This benefits both you and the customer. Just be very intentional about how you approach the subject should you no longer wish to work with someone.

The way we serve a customer is based on how we solve an important problem for them, and if they don’t want the problem solved, then it’s best for both us and the customer to help them find someone else who can work with them. I challenge you to clearly define the problem that you solve as a business and the customer that you serve. Should you need help with this process, reach out to us at Jody Holland, INC. as we are here to help become the leader that others want to follow through attracting, developing, and retaining top talent.

-Meghan Slaughter