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When you are in business you can make your own rules.

The rules don’t have to be fair, or even logical.

They can simply be YOUR rules.

Your customers, who want to do business with you, can choose to either play by your rules, or go elsewhere.

It’s that simple.

Your only duty, as a business owner, is to find the balance between your rules, and your business being a viable entity that is fun.

After all, if it isn’t fun then what is the point?

The point needs to be that your business can provide you with either a living, or a way of life, or simply an existence.

As the business owner you get to choose.

If you do not like your business, create a harsh environment that makes it difficult for customers and they will leave and go elsewhere.

If you want to work three days each week and have some “Lifestyle” you will need to create certain rules to attract and keep the correct type of client who is happy to do business with you on this sort of basis.

If your clients expect you to be available at their beck and call 24/7, then this will be a different business model.

Your level of serving, meaning the level of service that you provide to your clients while you are dealing with them, will determine how patient they will be should you ever not be available when they decide they need you.

Imagine this. If you have a busted pipe at home on a Sunday, and your regular plumber is out sailing for the day and is uncontactable, then maybe you might switch your allegiances to the plumber who you phone and hears the urgency in your voice and drops everything to come and help you out.

One of the dumbest things a business can do is to presuppose about their new clients without taking the time to get to know that new client.

Have you ever heard of a business that insults its new clients unwittingly without taking the time to get to know them?

The funny thing is, that with Google Maps now, you can get a good look at the home of the person you do business with so long as you have their address.

This is just one easy way to investigate whether or not the person is who they say they are….

Anyway, it’s amazing how the actions of one careless employee in a business may begin an avalanche of negative reactions towards that business as a result of a seemingly flippant or careless decision.

I’m constantly reminding the dentists that I coach that we need the whole team on board at all times and pulling in the same direction with the same enthusiasm, when it comes to interacting with our customers both existing and new.

Because if ever there is a fault or a weakness in the message that we are sending, then even the most grateful long term customer can become offended and take their business elsewhere.

And tell one hundred of their friends along the way.

Recently my son was disappointed that our home internet service provider was not offering consistent service, and we were regularly experiencing “service interruptions” and difficulties.

He convinced me to apply to switch carriers, and here is where we are up to so far:

The new carrier has just sent me the same letter twice to let me know that:

“We’ve taken a close look at all your details, and unfortunately on this occasion we’re unable to approve your application”

This application is for a postpaid account with the supplier.

The thing that got me about this was that to enquire why they made this decision required numerous online applications and a delay of possibly “10 working days” to receive an explanation.

There was no simple dispute resolution process available.

Calling the phone number on the website took three minutes of button pressing before being placed in a queue to speak to an operator with an expected wait time of “twenty minutes”?

No thank you.

On top of this, their website says:

“Optus aims to lead Australia in delivering outstanding customer experience…”

I don’t think so.

It’s all good and fancy talking the talk in your business.

But if your website says one thing but your processes say another, then you’re simply just a smoke and mirrors operation.

Here is a tip Optus:

Make it easy for my injustices to be heard.

In the meantime, I won’t give you my business, and I’ll tell a hundred people how difficult you are to deal with…

And your management would probably not even know which employee sent the letter to me…twice.

Whoever did your homework did not do their homework.

When they finally do, they’ll see that I have an exemplary credit record over a period of 39 years so far.

We’ve all heard the stories about never pre-judging a customer by the clothes they wear.

I can remember a disheveled older new patient walking into my Dental Office and enquiring about treatment, only to divulge later in the appointment that he had won ten million dollars in the lottery.

He subsequently restored his teeth with my office.

Had we pre-judged on circumstantial evidence and first appearances, he may have taken his business elsewhere.

One of the reasons this chap completed his treatment with me was because my Dental Office took the time to make him feel welcome and heard.

And everybody in the office was singing from the same hymnbook.

I don’t know who turned down my application for $120.00 per month of internet?

I hope they find him, and I hope he doesn’t make the same mistakes at his next job….

*****

Have you read my book , How To Build The Dental Practice of Your Dreams [Without Killing Yourself!] In Less Than Sixty Days.

You can order your copy here: Click Link To Order

*****

The Ultimate Patient Experience is a simple to build complete Customer Service system in itself that I developed that allowed me to create an extraordinary dental office in an ordinary Sydney suburb. If you’d like to know more, ask me about my free special report.

Email me at david@theupe.com

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