I hope this doesn't gross you out.
My goal is NOT to make you squirm in your seat or be paranoid whenever you go out to eat.
It's to illustrate a very powerful sales and marketing lesson any one of us can learn (and profit) from.
Anyway, here's the story: Couple days ago the Mrs.
and I tried a new restaurant in town.
We'd read a rave review about it in the local paper.
And, since it is still new, we figured it was time to check out their cheeseburgers.
So we get home, open the carton and get ready to dig in.
Except...
I see a black, scraggly looking thing next to my burger that turned out to be a dead (deep fried) fly.
Ugh.
Thank God I look before I eat, eh? So my wife calls the place up and tells them what happened.
I mean, there could be some punk working there who did it on purpose for all we knew.
And we figured the owner would want to know either way.
The guy's response? "Hmm.
That's a first.
" No wanting to fix it.
No trying to do something to keep our business (or keep us from telling other people about the fly).
No caring whatsoever.
Frankly, his level of concern was as dead as the fly on my plate.
And yet...
we would have probably given his "bistro" a second chance (in a few months) and probably told everyone how great the place is (thereby sending it more business) if they'd simply tried to make things cool.
Anyway, here's the point: If you want to increase your sales, get lots of repeat customers and have word of mouth marketing (one of the best kind there is) kicking in...
all you have to do is CARE about your customers.
Treat them with some respect.
And, if something does go wrong, make it right.
It usually doesn't take that much effort.
But when you have super happy customers roaming the streets practically proselytizing on your behalf...
spreading the good news about how wonderful your business is...
and even selling people on buying your stuff...
success is a cake walk.
In fact, you almost can't fail.