Monday, May 12, 2008


Listen to Your Customers



Customers are the critical component to any service oriented business. As a concessionaire, your interaction with your customers is vital to the positive growth and success of your business. To effectively grow your business, it's wise to listen to your customers. At times, they have some great tips that will create additional growth for you.

As an example, for several years, I owned a specialty coffee business. In addition to one fixed location, we had a mobile trailer that we used at various seasonal events in our region (soccer tournaments, arts and crafts festivals, harvest festivals, music fairs, etc.). The first year we attended a certain music festival it was suggested to us that we feature organic coffees. The next year when we returned, the positive comments from customers was unbelievable. We listened and reacted positively to a suggestion. In the end, it paid off big time because we were catering to the desires and requests from a specific demographic. The result? Every year we attended this festival, we had a line at our stand all day long. We served hundreds of drinks per hour. The consecutive years spent at that festival were always great. It will go down as one of the best events we ever worked.

This example pours over into other businesses as well. If a customer truly gives you a good suggestion...follow through with it! Not only will you please that particular customer, but he/she will tell their friends about it too. Positive referrals should be considered money in the bank for your company!

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