Six months ago, a local trader did some work for me, and we talked about another three projects I wanted to put their way.
It was left that they would contact me when they had more time. But I never heard from them again.
How does that make me feel?
I feel that they don’t care about me. I feel that they think they’re doing so well that they can afford to ignore my custom.
They did a good job first time round, but I wouldn’t recommend them to a friend now.
Maybe they have more work than they can handle – if so, I am really happy for them – but no-one should be letting happy customers drift away.
You may not need them now, but you might need them later.
And not only will they not be there for you, those lost customers will have been talking negatively about you and your business, as well as giving their money to your competitors!
As we head into 2025, please make one of your New Year’s resolutions be to keep in touch with your customers.
‘Auld Lang Syne’ translates roughly as ‘old times sake’ and this year, don’t let auld acquaintance be forgot!
One of my clients does this very well. He regularly catches up with previous clients for a quick chat – no more than 5 minutes and it’s amazing how much work comes from those friendly calls. And here’s the master stroke – when he’s too busy to take on the work himself, he introduces them to another trusted tradesperson who will do the work. This saves the customer the need to find a replacement themselves, and keeps my client in their mind as a helpful, trustworthy contact.
