I was fortunate to be a guest this past weekend at the Palm Beach home of one of the kindest and loveliest clients I have ever worked for.
The wife is known for being a great hostess with a very kind nature, and I think her husband is one of the most brilliant business minds I have ever encountered.
While we were having dinner, he said something that I think defines the issue of service.
He said there are basically two kinds of people:
1. Those who actually love giving good service. It’s very much a part of their nature.
2. Those who think they need to give good service, but they do it as if it was an issue.
This wonderful client built a very successful empire with his love to “serve,” as was apparent while I was a guest in his home. While discussing this week’s topic of what makes a successful vendor, I believe this issue of service should serve as a strong base for your business.
Clients, of course, are just human. If I go to a restaurant with a waiter who seems like he actually enjoys serving me, I’ll most likely seek him out the next time I am back.
At the same time, if he makes me feel like he is being inconvenienced while giving me good service, I’ll mostly likely not.
Good service is nothing more than an attitude. If this comes naturally to you, bravo. If not, your practice should be to make it feels like it does.
Is serving others part of your DNA? What steps have you taken to serve your clients better?
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
alison
January 18, 2011
agreed 100%!!! as far as steps are concerned, i just feel that if it is in your nature to be this way, there’s nothing you won’t do to make your client happy.
Shannon
January 18, 2011
I agree with your client, that serving is at the root of our customer service. The clients, vendors and individuals we come in contact with can sense whether this is at the core of our business or not. There is nothing to gain by insincerity – but much from giving what we are to benefit the clients who contibute to our paychecks.
Jen
January 18, 2011
I am a person who serves naturally. I simply want others to be taken care of, to make sure they are alright. I find that this can be a fault at times when I connect with the client and then begin to stress and crunch numbers to try & give them all they want while cutting into my profit. Any advice on how to overcome this? My guess to to have someone else talk numbers but how does that work? I create the designs & then pass them off? Thanks for any advice!
Bem Florido / Sandra Bacchin
January 18, 2011
I listen to what they say. I pay attention to what they want. I try to translate their feellings. I love my clients and they pay me, above all, with their smile! It’s worthless!
Sandra
Nicole
January 19, 2011
“Enjoy what you do and you will never have to work a day in your life” Service comes from the heart guided by the head towards a profit (sometimes hard to fulfil!)
Our clients become OUR client for the duration of the event
(sometimes friends after)
Audit your testimonials are they product or service biased.
A recent bride thanked us for turning her into a “Flower porn junkie!” service comes in many ways!
This is a great forum love hearing from you all but especially from the Maestro!
God has bless u with a natural talant !
January 19, 2011
Natural talents comes from almighty and all of us is unique in each way.I started in school studying Auto Mechanic Technology, but I became one of the best floral designers in Trinidad,today I can create any size and design imaginable, I have some of the largest corporate and private clients, event designers ,interior designers locally and regionally! Trust in God all the time.
Galina Zakatova
January 19, 2011
Hello, Preston!
My name is Zakatova Galina, I live in Russia. I the big fan of your creativity and work, you give inspiration! Today a mine birthday and I have decided to tell to you about the dream: I dream to be the designer of ceremonies and to create a lot of fine for pleasure and admiration of people! Much to our regret, in Russia there is no school where would train in such speciality, there are various kinds of design, but the design of ceremonies isn’t present. Literatures on this question, the experts, similar to you – too aren’t present. But my dream is too desired to leave it. Therefore I have decided to be trained at home, have found some courses and books, but it is not enough of it. I have to you a big request: Preston, tell please as well as where you have learned this art, what books you read, what it is necessary to study, without what not to manage, with what you began? To you I will be very grateful for your answer! In advance, I thank!
Yours faithfully, Zakatova Galina.