3 ms·

I think this can be a two way street. I don't own a retail business, but I feel like, as a general rule, clients who complain about things like parking tend to

by ksdale 7y ago

I think this can be a two way street. I don't own a retail business, but I feel like, as a general rule, clients who complain about things like parking tend to not be the best clients. I think it's totally valid in the sandwich shop example, where people will literally choose something else based on what they have to walk past to get to your door. But for a professional service where you have an ongoing relationship worth potentially thousands of dollars per year, if someone is put off by a lack of front row parking, what other utterly trivial things are they going to find fault with? Those tend to be the clients that ask for the world and get it at a bargain and then still complain about the bill. It's not that I'm not happy to go the extra mile for good clients, but there are definitely good clients and not good clients and creating a rule that you should always delight everyone all the time means you're going to waste a lot of time trying to delight people who complain about having to walk across the parking lot...

Pfhreak 7y ago
It's a metaphor for a general way of thinking -- prioritizing the needs of your customers, ensuring they have the best experience you can provide them. Parking in this way may or may not have any impact on customer relationships, but if you are someone who does this regularly, you are likely someone who looks for other minor ways to improve the experience for your customers.
tptacek 7y ago
But keep in mind that not everyone who cares about parking complains. I can think of several Chicago places I really like, but tend to actively avoid because it's hard to get parking. There doesn't have to be a complaint or even an active finding of fault for silly-seeming stuff like this to drag your business.
- ksdale 7y ago
  I feel like this is the sandwich shop example though, which I think is perfectly valid.
- gist 7y ago
  > that not everyone who cares about parking complains. To that point people who complain are often the canary in the coal mine for larger issues. I am a big complainer. Typically in the end I get thanked for bringing things to a businesses attention. And I am a good customer. My largest 'reward' to date was a $5000 amount from a large german car manufacturer. They said 'we have never done this before'. What I said started out as a complaint. At first they were not really responsive. I finally brought home (successfully) that I was doing them a favor and that their dealer (a luxury car dealer) did not handle things the way they should have with a recent transaction. I complain all the time at Whole Foods (where I spend a ton of money). Things just jump out at me. That said not everyone is me. Will say that I have owned a small business in the past. For every person that voiced a complaint there could be a hundred who don't open their mouth honestly. That's what I have found. People think they shouldn't complain in a restaurant as another example. No the restaurant would rather have the complaint than you not returning or telling others. It's their chance to make things right and buy loyalty. Same story 'thank you for bringing this to our attention here is a $100 gift certificate'.
  - D-Coder 7y ago
    Similar to my personal relationships! I'd rather hear about a possible problem, so it can be addressed, than not hear about it.
thescriptkiddie 7y ago
This is stretching the metaphor to the point of absurdity, but in some cases removing parking can actually improve business. This is apparently because the best customers are locals who walk or bike. https://www.fastcompany.com/3067515/why-local-businesses-shouldnt-worry-about-eliminating-on-street-parking https://www.fastcompany.com/3067515/why-local-businesses-sho...
- ksdale 7y ago
  Haha, this is where I was going with my point, which is that you absolutely do not want to please everyone who walks through the door (unless your business success is based solely on the number of people who walk through the door), you want to please the people who are your ideal customer, so that you can focus on them and not have to waste any time pleasing people who can't be pleased because they're at the wrong business.
jrace 7y ago
It is more about giving people less reasons to be annoyed with using your business. Not quite the same as actively delighting the customers. This is one of the little things that add up and eventually cause customers to go elsewhere, consciously or not.
Wh1skey 7y ago
Yes. The article and others fail to recognize that in practice, some customers cost more than they're worth.

by ksdale 7y ago

Pfhreak 7y ago

It's a metaphor for a general way of thinking -- prioritizing the needs of your customers, ensuring they have the best experience you can provide them. Parking in this way may or may not have any impact on customer relationships, but if you are someone who does this regularly, you are likely someone who looks for other minor ways to improve the experience for your customers.

tptacek 7y ago

But keep in mind that not everyone who cares about parking complains. I can think of several Chicago places I really like, but tend to actively avoid because it's hard to get parking. There doesn't have to be a complaint or even an active finding of fault for silly-seeming stuff like this to drag your business.

ksdale 7y ago
I feel like this is the sandwich shop example though, which I think is perfectly valid.
gist 7y ago
> that not everyone who cares about parking complains. To that point people who complain are often the canary in the coal mine for larger issues. I am a big complainer. Typically in the end I get thanked for bringing things to a businesses attention. And I am a good customer. My largest 'reward' to date was a $5000 amount from a large german car manufacturer. They said 'we have never done this before'. What I said started out as a complaint. At first they were not really responsive. I finally brought home (successfully) that I was doing them a favor and that their dealer (a luxury car dealer) did not handle things the way they should have with a recent transaction. I complain all the time at Whole Foods (where I spend a ton of money). Things just jump out at me. That said not everyone is me. Will say that I have owned a small business in the past. For every person that voiced a complaint there could be a hundred who don't open their mouth honestly. That's what I have found. People think they shouldn't complain in a restaurant as another example. No the restaurant would rather have the complaint than you not returning or telling others. It's their chance to make things right and buy loyalty. Same story 'thank you for bringing this to our attention here is a $100 gift certificate'.
- D-Coder 7y ago
  Similar to my personal relationships! I'd rather hear about a possible problem, so it can be addressed, than not hear about it.

thescriptkiddie 7y ago

This is stretching the metaphor to the point of absurdity, but in some cases removing parking can actually improve business. This is apparently because the best customers are locals who walk or bike. https://www.fastcompany.com/3067515/why-local-businesses-shouldnt-worry-about-eliminating-on-street-parking https://www.fastcompany.com/3067515/why-local-businesses-sho...

ksdale 7y ago
Haha, this is where I was going with my point, which is that you absolutely do not want to please everyone who walks through the door (unless your business success is based solely on the number of people who walk through the door), you want to please the people who are your ideal customer, so that you can focus on them and not have to waste any time pleasing people who can't be pleased because they're at the wrong business.

jrace 7y ago

It is more about giving people less reasons to be annoyed with using your business. Not quite the same as actively delighting the customers. This is one of the little things that add up and eventually cause customers to go elsewhere, consciously or not.

Wh1skey 7y ago

Yes. The article and others fail to recognize that in practice, some customers cost more than they're worth.