Here at Small Business Boomers we are in the middle of “Customer Service Week.” Everyday I’ve asked a question about dealing with customers.

On Monday, it was about how to handle an irate customer.

On Tuesday, I asked if you would “fire” a customer.

Today’s question: Would you ever refer a potential customer to one of your competitors? I called a landscaper this day to give me an estimate. He said he was too busy, but he gave me the name of another landscaping company. While on the surface this doesn’t make good business sense, on the other hand, why not?

You create potential goodwill with someone like me who might come back to you. If I tell the competitor who referred me (and I did), it creates goodwill between the two companies.

Goodwill isn’t just with customers. Even though it is an important concept in the sale of a business, goodwill can be generated with anyone your company does business with, including vendors and competitors.

What do you think? Would you do this?

Tags: baby boomers, customer service, small businesses

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Agatha Christie is quoted as saying, “”I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming… suddenly you find - at the age of 50, say - that a whole new life has opened before you.”

I know what she means. Do you?

Photo: Jean Murray

Tags: Agatha Christie, baby boomers, quotations, second blooming

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Filed under: Estates

This very special contemporary is located in the town of Cologny near Geneva in Switzerland. The four-bedroom home, built in 1989 by Blum & Blum in Z

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The situation I talked about yesterday, with the travel agent who got mad because the physician didn’t use her bureau to book a trip, has another twist to it.  The patient was 20 minutes late for her appointment.  And she was typically at least 15 minutes late for every appointment.  I told the physician she should have been “fired.” (I realize health care providers have a tiny different situation, since they can be sued for abandonment if they just stop treating a patient.)

In your business, have you ever been tempted to get rid of a customer? Here are some of my suggestions:

1.  Quit responding to requests for service or don’t provide information the customer requests.  In other words, use bad customer service to make the person stop calling you.  This is probably the worst of the possibilities.  I don’t know if I could do this; it’s too ingrained in me to do what I promised and to provide excellent customer service.

2.  Tell the person directly that you can’t do business with him/her or the company any more.  If the person asks why, just say, “I don’t want to continue this business relationship.”  And don’t give in to pressure to say more.  You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

So what are your suggestions?  How would  you “fire” a customer?

Tags: baby boomers, business owners, customer service, Customers

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