IN BUSINESS DON’T LOOK FOR A CUSTOMER …

Last week during the “Uganda Entrepreneurship congress 2023” at Makerere University business coach Robert Semkula counselled the young, eager students that when they go into business, “Don’t look for a customer look for a friend”.

That was interesting because we all know nothing happens until you sell, sell to a customer.

It was a clever way of saying you need to focus on building relationships with your customers, because again we all know if they like you, you are half way to selling.

We have argued severally in this column that businessmen before they claim the economy is doing badly, should first do an audit of their customer care processes...

As customers we are tired of the bored sales executive whose body language suggests she would rather be elsewhere than be selling to you or the gum chewing, rolling of the eyes, front desk officer who would rather you did not come in their door or the technician who returns your TV or car in such a state that you will be calling him no sooner has he turned the corner.

Our businessmen, we call them that because they are selling something but, in all honesty, have as much luck at success as the sighting of nsenene this season; our businessmen, seem intent on chasing us away from their shops so they can watch Tiktok.

So, imagine if we have some sort of universal epiphany – as I did listening to Semakula, that why when the customer walks in our door, don’t we try to make him our friend by looking beyond the current sale to building a long term relationship? After all the business theorists tell us it is cheaper to sell more to an existing customer than cultivate a new one.

We may suffer a culture shock, but what would this brave new world look like?

It would be that when my car breaks down and I call the mechanic to come check it out, he would be focused on getting to me or one of his people, identifying the problem and taking it off my hands. Once that happens he would give me regular updates – in writing, on what was needed and the progress on the job. To stretch the fantasy, they may have even have loaned me a car to use as they work. The beauty of the loaned car is that they would have skin in the game, they would not forget to work on my car and at the bare minimum would look to get the job done quickly so they can get their car back – before I damage it.

This could work for appliances out of order, the plumbing that needs repairing (in this case they would stay onsite until it was fixed) or even a bad hair job.

Our businessmen see this tender loving care as an added expense they can not afford or worse, that it would be keeping them from serving other customers. But if you think about it, I will remember the service especially if it is replicated routinely and would not hesitate to recommend him to my friends and family. They say people never forget how you made them feel...

As it is now many times we are scared to recommend our handymen because we know their ways of not quite finishing the job and overcharging for it (if you don’t finish the job, whatever you charge will be overcharging). It maybe the difference between when we are asked who is our mechanic, our response not being a sigh and waive of the hand but an eager sharing of his contact over WhatsApp.

Unfortunately, there are enough of us who are bad mannered and ingrates, dissuading our businessmen from being nice and hence the vicious cycle and hence the complaints about the economy being bad.

Talking about a bad economy, it amazes me every day to realise how many people are doing well are quiet about it. The noisy ones are the complainers, while the guys getting paid everyday are seated quietly in the corner smiling inwardly to themselves.

How would you serve your friend if they came to your shop, may be the way to start thinking to reengineer your business.

I remember many years ago when I was looking for a size 14 dress on Johnstone Street. The shop I went into only had size 12. I made as if to leave the shop and go to the next shop, but the shop attendant beat me to the door, urged me to take a seat he would bring the same dress. After a few minutes, which seemed like forever – we didn’t have smart phones, he came back with not one but two dresses a size 14 and a size 16, just in case.

I was getting ready to fork out a little bit more for his effort but he insisted the price was as quoted before. He became my go to guy for clothing and referred him far and wide.

Now his more tech savvy son is the one I meet, since I no longer can be bothered to go to town anymore. They now have several “shop windows” online and the son and his friends seemingly drop whatever they are doing to deliver.

And whenever I ask how business is going the son is quick with a thumbs up, “Mzuri.” Surprise! Surprise!