DWC Home | Magazine | Back Issues | March 2005 | Managing For Money

Who Loves Customers Most: Small or Big Business?
The answer may surprise you.

by Steven C. Bursten

Today we question the unquestionable. Who really loves customers the most: small business or large? As window coverings professionals, we assume the “fact” that small business owners love their customers more—give them better service, lavish more personal attention on them, extend tender loving care unmatchable by a large business. In fact, the marketing edge of the small business owner is assumed to be the extra attention and personal service that customers can expect when they deal with a small business owner.

Is this assumption true . . . or not? Either way, how does it affect your business? Simple: If you want more business, then this is a good read to discover what business owners who really love customers do. For this discussion consider a small window coverings business as one in which the owner works personally and directly with customers. A large business is one in which multiple shop-at-home decorators are employed and the owner manages full-time rather than serving customers directly.

Chain department stores and D-I-Y home improvement stores are not compared here because they rarely have a shop-at-home window coverings department. Do chain stores compete with you? Rarely. Run a list of jobs lost in the last 90 days and see how often Home Depot, Lowe’s and chain department stores come up.

WHAT DOES ‘LOVE YOUR CUSTOMER’ MEAN?

Most window coverings specialists define customer care as something that happens after the order is written and before it is installed. They pride themselves on making multiple trips to design treatments and select fabrics. They talk about fabricating to perfection, and returning repeatedly to assure customers are satisfied before they pay the balance.

Yes, these things are important—most of them, at least. And yes, a small specialist can shine when the same person sells, orders and installs or goes with the installer to assure everything goes up as intended. But what about before the order is written? What about after the job is installed? What do those actions tell us about who loves customers the most?

WOOING CUSTOMERS

A lot of business owners resist going on home appointments. They question whether a customer is “worth my time.” Some, with a beautiful store, want customers to come see their fabulous displays before they will set a home appointment. Some micro-businesses that sew draperies believe, “I am very good at designing and making draperies. If someone wants the best, they should call me. It’s not my job to go after them.”

Possibly these examples stem from gender roles in dating and courtship—the female role is to be appealing and the male role is to find and woo her. Whether the store is beautiful or the seamstress is talented, both want customers to take the first step.

THIS IS BUSINESS

But this is not courtship. This is business. Customers have busy lives of their own. They have kids to raise, a job to go to and an active social life. The cliché “time-starved consumer” is real; it is today’s lifestyle. That makes it our job to go after customers; to be sure they know who we are, what we sell and that they should think of us as one of their choices when they need custom window coverings.

If we really love customers, we will fight for the privilege to serve them. We prove our love by investing time and money to create awareness before they buy. And, when they do call, we should consider invitations to their homes as an honor and a blessing. We cannot prove our love for customers only by treating them passionately after we have an order.

WHO WINS THE PRIZE?

So, who wins the prize? Who loves their customers more, small business or big? If you refer to the chart on the next page you probably will conclude that if you measure it by investment before and after the sale, big business has the edge. But if you measure it between the appointment and installation, small business has the edge.

The good news for small business: If you really care about customers, invest a budgeted amount to create awareness and to follow up; then, in a close contest, you can rightfully claim the prize for who loves customers the most.