~Sunday, April 28, 2013
A good
old-fashioned thank you card—what a welcome surprise. I don’t think many people realize the impact
it can make to send a simple thank you card in the mail. As the recipient of not only one, but three cards recently!—I thought to
myself, “Wow, these people actually took
time out of their day to handwrite a personal note of appreciation for my
business.” I was already a satisfied
customer for a job well done; but now I placed these companies on the highest
pedestal possible and let everybody know it—and yes—that’s the idea!: A satisfied customer means more satisfied customers.
When I first started a
business 19 years ago I had the impression that other shops closed down because
of lack of customers—wrong!: The usual culprit was the lack of good business. I was naive to this fact at the time because
I started my career as a young teen at an establishment that practiced client
service and satisfaction to the extreme.
(Who knew at 19 years old that it
wasn’t the norm?) Another good example—ever hear of a store called Nordstroms?
Their unswerving motto: The customer is always right, no questions asked.
Hence, throughout my career as a hairstylist I have continued to provide good customer service to my clientele (many of whom I've known for twenty-plus years!); and now also follow through in practicing good business in my most recent endeavors in relation to my cookbook, You Never Grow Old at the Dinner Table. After every book signing event the first
thing I do is send a thank you card to the owner or the host of the event
location. When an owner has had a busy
day of phone calls, problem solving; and has tried their best to answer every
question imaginable thrown their way, how nice is it when they receive an
unexpected token of thanks? This one
small act can erase everything else that has gone wrong in their day. And trust me, they will always remember you
and thoroughly enjoy a continued business relationship for years to come.
 |
| You can just smell the toasted almonds!! Yummm! |
Speaking of
events and book promoting, if you haven’t had the chance to sample my mom’s
biscotti cookies (which has made believers out of people who thought they never
liked biscotti), my mom and I will be recruiting more ‘believers’ at my next
book signing event on Saturday May 4 at Savor
the Flavor, 11 Kersting Court in Sierra Madre from 12:00 to 2:00. (The nine dozen cookies my mom baked for our most
recent event at Vroman’s Bookstore were devoured!!!—and closed the sale to
boot!)
One last
mention, my cookbook, You Never Grow Old at the Dinner Table, screams Mother’s
Day gift—now only a couple weeks away on Sunday May 12!
