Return on Intention

After watching a small business owner create relationships, I thought to myself  why can’t larger companies be as open to create a customer relationship with their own audience. 

This establishment was probably 40′ X 20′, or close to that, with mostly canned goods, sodas, groceries, and a beef counter.  They also sell CD’s, hats, jerseys, and just about any type on candy that comes in a wrap. I was next in line to the last person cheking out of the coounter in this very small business. The clerk made the usual small talk with the person he was tending to while three of us waited patiently.  Then I heard the clerk tell the customer: ”it has been a while since I’ve seen you here, I thought you forgot about us, friends miss each other you know.”  The customer answered with a smile and said: “I had to leave for a couple of months for work…”  That’s when I realized how this business owner had survived for so long in a place with only two other super markets, and one of them beaing Walmart. 

 When my turn to check out came, the clerk greeted me, charged for a gallon of milk, and said: “Thanks for your visit friend, don’t wait until you run out of milk to pay me a visit, we sell food here, but friendship is free.” I smiled and said thank you.

Many small business out there don’t realize that the relationship they create is growing their customers loyalty and creating a strong brand. 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 6th, 2006 at 11:23 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.