Why it pays not to stiff your customers

A couple of weeks ago I needed new headphones. It was a Saturday and I did not fancy driving into the city. But there was a couple of places in the suburbs where they could be purchased.

Outlets one and two didn't have any in stock. Outlet three was in a retail park, with not so great parking facilities. As the thought of heading into the city was a no-no, I decided to go there.

They had headphones in stock, so I picked out a set. The price was okay so off to the counter to pay. The staff member scanned the item and then said " Actually that item has been reduced in price and the new price is X "

Slightly taken aback, I nodded yes and continued to pay. Later on in the day while using the new headphones the  thought struck me " I am going to use that shop again ". Why ? Because of the honesty of the staff member. They could have charged me the sticker price and pocketed a bigger commission for themselves. I would like to believe they were thinking long term and that they wanted me as a loyal customer, not a one time sale.

Most often it is the small gestures that create the lasting impression. The easy to do rather than the complicated. Imagine how I would have felt if later on I had checked out their website and found out that I had been overcharged for the headphones. Do you believe I still would have entertained the " I am going to shop there again " or " Bunch of thieving sods "

You as a small business owner or ambassador for your workplace have a choice. Do the right thing for your customer or suffer being known as " those thieving sods "

Customer loyalty is in your hands.

Colin Myles
Author & Listener

P.S.
" Some people create their own storms, then get upset when it rains " Unknown

Author ; 67 Uplifting Quotes
Author ; How to Avoid Business Failure

P.P.S
Author ; 5 Keys to Doing Business with The Right People ..... Author Interview