When I’m sick, I go see MY doctor. I don’t shop around. Why? Well, my doctor knows my medical history, works within the confines of my insurance plan and is an expert in everything ME. I don’t see a different physician each time I go in, I see MY doctor.
When I need my car repaired, I call Zak, a friend who's a mechanic. He's my "guy" when I need car maintenance. When I need an electrician, I call Ziggy, my guy for that. And no, not all my guy's names begin with the letter "Z", just these two. They are two of a small but valuable list of people I use and frequently recommend.
Part of being a consumer (and a homeowner) is the need to find someone you trust for all those services. I suppose I could have my car repaired at the dealership where I bought it or, at any number of local shops who would be happy to do the work and take my payment. But, when you have a "guy", you know that you are going to get a good deal or, at the very least, a fair deal. Isn't that all any of us really want, to be treated fairly?
Having a gal or a guy is simple: Find a business that you work with and become a repeat customer. If you’re fortunate enough to make a connection with an employee there, you have an opportunity to create a relationship. These take time to develop and only occur after a series of regular exchanges. If you shop at a different florist every time you need flowers, you may get the best price each time or you may get burned each time. Think about your favorite retail experience. Doesn’t it include an interpersonal component? Don’t you often look for that one person who knows exactly how you like your hair, the style of clothes that you wear or what oil filter you need for your car? The personal physician is a relationship that gets fast-tracked by the circumstances of your medical needs.
Part of this is familiarity, becoming a “regular” but part of it is also in the nature of the establishment and the size of the company with whom you do business. For example, what are the odds of walking into a Home Depot or a WalMart and seeing the same employee twice? Compare that to the privately-owned local hardware store and you can expect that the people you get help from today will be the resource you rely on in the future.
If you had to go through each purchasing experience or transaction, not trusting anyone, the stress and strain would wear you out. We naturally look for positive experiences with the vendors we use and hope that they build trust through a series of positive business exchanges.
The same holds true for online retailers. With so many choices of where to buy everything, shoppers will tend to return to web sites of companies of whom they have a positive feeling. My wife will ALWAYS look first for something she “needs” at LL Bean. If she needs dressier apparel, there is one retailer that she often returns to, even if it means a special trip.
Social media is having a large impact on internet and retail shopping. Now, people routinely share their experiences through Facebook, Twitter and other sites. If I have a good (or bad!) experience with the cable company, now I often share that with my network(s). Similarly, people are using their networks to make the shopping experience more beneficial. What kind of tires should I buy? Who has a coupon deal in time for Mother’s Day? My new router is acting funny, what can I do about this?
Repeat customers deserve a better level of service than a one-time customer. But, because you don’t know who will become a repeat customer, all customers must be given the best possible service. The bonus for the Consumer is the warm, personal relationship with some of the people whose services you use regularly.
I now also have a tree guy (thanks to Jay) and an IT guy (thanks to Daryl). I’m still looking for a plumbing guy and a painting guy. If you can recommend anyone, please let me know!
