In the business world, there’s a lot of talk out there that focuses on making sure you get what you “deserve” from your customer. Charging what you’re worth, honoring yourself and your work, making sure your client pays for the extra services you provide, and just in general making sure you get what you deserve from your customer. Now, I’m not saying that I disagree with everything. If you work hard and do a great job, I absolutely believe that you should be paid well. But I don’t think a focus on making sure you only give as much as the customer pays for is the best option.
Always Put Forth Your Best Effort
Instead consider that it’s good to give your best, all the time. Even if you don’t feel like the customer deserves it. Some customers you will love. Some customers not so much. But going above and beyond just because it’s the right thing to do is just good for the soul. Just as they say to give is better than to receive; well, giving your best to everything you do is better than half a$$ing it. Or only doing as much as the customer paid for, and absolutely no more.
Because recognizing how you can help your client out is good for business. It’s good for you as a human being. And it’s good for them as a customer. And it doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be news worthy. It just needs to be thoughtful. When you can stay ten extra minutes past your agreed upon 30 minute complementary meeting to calm a few more concerns, stay seated. When you can go back and find one more round of fabrics for that tiny pillow that means so much to them, muster up the strength and start looking. When you can straighten up the contractor’s mess that you clearly didn’t make, go for it. Or when you see that your elderly client’s newspapers haven’t been brought in, pick them up and bring them on in. Take responsibility for the little problems around you that you know you can take care of.
Take Responsibility For Problems That You Didn’t Cause
In a world that often seems to focus on me, me, me, it’s refreshing to experience when the focus is put elsewhere. There’s few things better than seeing someone go out of their way to help another person. Or a business delivering far more than was promised. Last week when we had a tree removed, the business we hired did what we asked, removed the tree. But during the process, they noticed that another tree in our yard had a huge branch that had snapped and was just hanging there waiting to fall. They retrieved a tool from their truck and got it down. They could have looked the other way, but didn’t. They saw a problem, and took it on themselves to take care of it. And after they had completed the job we paid them for, the tree removal, they kept working. They spent 20 minutes blowing leaves and debris from our yard, our driveway, and in the street around their truck. They just gave more than what was promised, and more than what was paid for.
So when you have the next opportunity to give more to your client than they paid for, go for it. It just might be the thing that you become known for. It might be the reason you get the next job. It might be the reason you get that big project you’ve been wanting to handle for years. But most importantly, it might be the reason why you sleep well at night.
If you’d like even more help going above and beyond for your customers, email me at ashley@ashleyuhlconsulting.com to find out how!
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