We feel comfortable and relaxed in places where we have friends. I like going to my local grocery store instead of the big warehouse because I know the people. They smile and we say hi to each other. Some of them even know my name. It makes me feel appreciated, so I give them my money. The big warehouse is cheaper and about the same distance away, but I prefer to shop at the smaller store.
I’m in the marketing department of my company and I have to go to fairs and trade shows and always run into the same people. We’ve slowly become friends and because of this they buy our services. This friendship makes for a happier work experience.
Working happy may mean feeling appreciated, keeping a flexible schedule, having friends at work, or making good money for all our effort, but it also means having a good relationship with our customers. They are the reason why we get to do what we do. If we have a good relationship with our customers, success is usually a wonderful byproduct.
Max Davis of the Blog Experiment wrote a great article about creating a successful online business. The best part of this post was this quote because it could apply to every industry.
…becoming friends with your customers is a GREAT way to become more and more successful online. Your customers are your market. They know other people in that market. When you treat people right and make friends in that market, the word starts to spread and before you know it, your business grows dramatically as a result.
When you are successful, you are usually happy because you are providing your customers with value. If you had great co-workers, an awesome boss, and long lunches this would eventually get old if you weren’t accomplishing anything.
There is something deeply ingrained in the human spirit that needs accomplishment. We need to produce so we feel our time and effort is worth the sacrifice.
If we can work with friends and accomplish our work then we’ve got the best of both worlds. The customer keeps coming back because s/he has a friend on the inside and you have a friend who trusts that you will treat her/him right. If that’s not a great recipe for working happy then I’m a bad chef.
What could you do to create friendships with your customers?
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Hi Karl,
Friendships do help to improve work and customer relations.
We're self employed and have become friends with our clients. We've learned how they like their jobs done, when they prefer to receive their billing, what their expectations are and they know they can call us and get free advice as well.
We always try to go the extra mile. It pays off as we end up with tons of referral business.
Barbara Swafford's last blog post..It’s All About Me, It’s All About You
Hey Barbara, that's one of the best parts of having clients as friends. They refer you to other people because they know you are trustworthy.
That's an interesting question because as a coach I eventually become friends with all of my long-standing clients. Over time we end up knowing a lot about each other and there is a built-in tendency to care about one another.
Friends are there for one another and as most of us bloggers know our online friendships can develop into incredible relationships.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work's last blog post..Get Real about Your Work
Karl: It's definitely a lot more satisfying when you can treat people you work with as friends instead of just keeping an arms-length relationship. I think we should all strive to create a sense of community in the places we frequent. I've been going to the same gym for a long time and I know a lot of the people who work out there at the same time I do. It's a lot more enjoyable to be on the treadmill talking to the person next to you--whom you think of as a friend since you see them so often--instead of just putting ear plugs on and listening to music.
Marelisa's last blog post..Become a Peacemaker - Learn How to Mediate and End Disagreements
Karl-
Knowing customer name is a great practice to accentuate our business journey. I'm a big believer on personal attention. Business is nothing more than serving a single person with utmost attention. I've written an article on this. I'd love to get your comment.
http://www.successsoul.com/2008/03/24/7-tips-to-create-loyal-customers/
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.com's last blog post..An Interview with Leo Babauta on Simplicity, Clarity, Happiness and Success
Hey Tom, when we treat everyone as friends that's what they become.
Hey Marelisa, community at work and in our social lives is so much more rewarding than just doing our own thing. You could ignore everyone when you go to the gym, but you are creating friendships that will probably help you in the future. It may be a little more work, but it's worth it.
Hey Shilpan, personal attention is so important. When we can give personal attention to someone we care about that's when the love shines through. I don't mind leaving a good tip for a waiter who loves what they do because they deserve it.
Your statement is very true... The art of working as a team with people you respect to accomplish something you believe in. That is what creates a happy workplace.
Marc and Angel Hack Life's last blog post..10 Ways to Save 10 Minutes Daily
Hey Marc and Angel, if we can create a happy workplace we'll be reducing our stress and raising our energy levels. It's a win win.
I love my job because my boss has become one of my best friends. You are so right on this one! I love comming to work because I love the people I work with.
Chris's last blog post..The Best of Times and The Worst of Times
Hey Chris, you are lucky to have such a good relationship with your boss. You probably work at keeping the friendship strong, but that's like any good relationship.
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Seriously I have just posted one thing similar about We All Want to Go Where Everyone Knows Our Name | Work Happy Now! on my blogging site yesterday evening. How smaller is the world wide web 🙂