His name was John Cash Penney, but you probably know him better by the retail store he founded—JCPenney. As a retailing pioneer, John Cash Penney believed the best service you could give was the service that came after the sale. He knew that following up with customers and backing up what you say and do is crucial, because it leads to long-term customer relationships.
ACTION ITEM
Look at the products and/or services you provide your customers. Which of them could be used to follow up with a customer as a means of building a relationship? Which are most likely to cause problems? Based on the answers to these questions, develop a “service after the sale” program to help you retain those valuable new customers.
John Deere, maker of everything from lawn tractors to combines, launched a new program to sell its expensive high-quality lawn tractors. With each purchase, the buyer was promised that, after he had used the lawn tractor a few times, a service technician from John Deere would come to run a six-point inspection. The service person would make absolutely certain the machine was in perfect working order and that everything was adjusted properly, so that the customer could be assured of many years of mowing with little maintenance. This gave John Deere the opportunity to catch a problem before it became a disaster. It was also a chance to remind customers that they had invested in a high-quality product that would probably save them a lot of money by avoiding emergency service incidents in the future. What can you do to offer your customers service after the sale so they will look to you for future purchases?