My wife asked me the other day why I thought employees at resorts and travel destinations are always so nice and courteous even though they will never see you again. She contrasted this with the treatment you receive at places or services you frequent, like the pharmacy, grocery store, or phone company. These routine experiences are often lacking quality customer service and can frequently leave bad tastes in our mouths.
Will You See Your Customers Again?
My wife’s question was about travel destinations. They are nice to you because first, they want you to come back, and secondly, they want you to tell all your friends what a great trip you had.
You may not be a travel destination, but your business needs to consider two similar factors in how you treat your customers:
Will you see this customer again?
Do you want to see this customer’s friends and family?
Customer Experience
The customer experience directly influences if a person will want to come back and do business with you again. “Being nice” is foundational to establishing a relationship with your customers. It is easier for your employees to be nice if they are happy employees.
Word of Mouth
Very few businesses don’t want any repeat customers. Even one-time services like a mortuary can lead to referral business by friends and family.
So why treat a customer nicely if you’ll never see them again? Word of mouth has great influence on repeat and prospective customers.