“It has been nice doing business with you. You lived up to our
expectations,” our client Joyce Frush graciously communicated to us. We assisted
Joyce and Charles Frush’s daughter Cheri Frush Ray by designing a memorial plaque for
Cheri’s husband Thomas W. Ray.
Thomas was a musician who played both electrical and acoustic guitar. We thought it was
important to place both symbols on his memorial. We also thought it was important to
identify his wife and children. I hope you too like the work we did to honor Thomas’
memory.
Joyce’s comments are the words that every monument builder should strive to receive
from their clients. When our client made this distinction, we were able to mark this
transaction as a successful one. Moments like this cannot be overvalued in our line of
business. We are constantly striving for these satisfactory customer relations. After all,
that is an important part of why we are in business in the first place, and each
transaction is and should be treated as an opportunity to build a reputation for service.
Please note that I used the term “clients” to describe our relationship with the
purchaser. “Customer” or “end consumer” does not appropriately define
the relationship in a transaction that involves our level of expertise. As a part of most
transactions, we serve a vital need by educating the client of the available options and
qualities. Once an option is decided upon, we have the responsibility to make certain that
the agreed-upon plan is carried through with care and precision to its completion.
In order to create a valued relationship, we like to give unexpected gifts as a token of
our appreciation to our clients at the end of each transaction. We take photographs at the
time of the memorial installation, and we commonly provide a CD ROM or will e-mail these
photographs at no charge to our clients. One of our gifts is a set of color prints of our
photographs of the memorial. Naturally, many clients, after receiving the gift, wish to
send the photos of the memorial to their family and friends, and this need is facilitated
with the distribution of the CD-ROM. With our company stamp on the back of each
photograph, this approach allows us an extraordinary opportunity to market ourselves and
position our company above all others. The goodwill that is gained with these small
efforts is invaluable and unquantifiable.
Finally, we give our clients a solar-powered cross that serves as a continuing reminder of
our commitment to providing excellent service. This is yet another example of our
company’s commitment to exceeding the client’s expectations. Note the use of
“excellent,” not “good,” service, as the difference is what
distinguishes us from our competitors and leads to our competitive advantage.
Thank you, Joyce, for the thoughtful words. We were delighted to serve your family.
“It has been nice doing business with you. You lived up to our
expectations,” our client Joyce Frush graciously communicated to us. We assisted
Joyce and Charles Frush’s daughter Cheri Frush Ray by designing a memorial plaque for
Cheri’s husband Thomas W. Ray.