About making money and life
Having the luxury of time, I was able to browse old magazines and I thought this one is worth sharing– the thought may not be new and may not be popular with most business strategies that we know of, but definetly value adding.
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Source: Avancini Report
Everything I learned about selling I learned one afternoon from my father at his furniture store in New Era, Michigan. I was 12 years old and I was sweeping the floor when an elderly woman entered the store. I asked Dad if I can wait on her. “Sure”, he replied.
“May I help you?”
“Yes young man I bought a sofa from your store and the leg fell off, I want to know when you are going to fix it”.
“When did you purchase it Ma’am?”
“About ten years ago”.
I told my father that she thought that we are going to fix it for free. He said to tell that we’d be there in the afternoon. After screwing on the leg, we left and on the ride back Pop asked,
“what’s bothering you son?’
“You know that I want to go to college. If we go around fixing the sofa for free. we’ll go broke,” I said.
“You have to learn how to do that repair job anyway. Besides, you missed the most important part. You did not notice the store tag when we flipped the couch cover? She bought it from Sears.”
“You mean we did that job for nothing and she’s not even our customer?”
Dad looked at me in the eyes and said, “she is now”.
Two days later, she returned to our store and bought several thousand dollars worth of new furniture from me. When we delivered it, she filled a gallons jar filed with change, singles, fives, tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds on the kitchen table. “Take what you need,” she said and left the room.
I’ve been selling for 30 years since that day. I have had the highest closing average because I treat all my customers with respect.
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Proverbs 11:16
A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Ask Sonnie, Career, Career Series, Customer Service, Entrepreneurship, Stories that Coach
I loved that story…
Go the Extra mile I call it.
Thank you
Ciao from Gaz
Nice!
I’ve heard variations of this one (one being corporate folk lore) but this one does touch. maybe its the kid angle.
cheers!
Thanks Sonnie. I enjoyed reading the story. It’s very rare to find uncalculating people these days. cheers.
Ida
This is the kind of customer service I’d like to see in Philippine entrepreneurs.
hai sonnie,
thank you for all your articles
I have now save your poorch as a fav site and look forward to more article from u
regards and have a nice day
A beautiful story
That story about a Mom and Pop Store operation is about Customer service. We are loosing that art everywhere you go. There are times we loose track of who the people who are paying the salaries. It is not management. It is your customers, patients, and clients. If these people walk inside the premises, you have to entertain them as if they are coming to your home for a visit. I have seen salepersons or cashiers in the Philippines and other countries I visited who are not even smiling or greeting the customers. One country I admire is Japan. They have door greeters and smile and go out of their way to help you. In the USA, Walmart is the world’s largest retailer and they just bought out one of the biggest retailer in China. The company employ senior citizens as door greeters and people with disabilities. Sam Walton founder of Walmart learned his lesson when Walmart was just a Mom and Pop operation in Bentonville, Arkansas - that the customer is KING.
This is so inspiring! I love it! May I post it on my multiply?
very nice story. inspiring! I’ll link you up in my blog.
sonnie, thanks for sharing this story…God bless u!