Love Calls - The Overlooked Goodwill Asset
In 1984, Stevie Wonder released one of his all-time classic songs, “I Just Called To Say I Love You”. It became an instant hit, quickly moving up the charts to the number one spot where it remained for several weeks. Additionally, it won a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song and it received three Grammy Award nominations that year, as well.
The song is about Stevie making a call to his girlfriend for no special reason – only to say “I love you”. Throughout the song, he names the many holidays and occasions that usually warrant such a call but emphasizes that, unlike those days that prompt good wishes and expressions of love, this call was only influenced by his love for her.
Do you and your employees make “Love Calls” in your business throughout the year? You should. Oh, I don’t mean it literally. Are you and your team making calls to customers and clients to express gratitude and appreciation for the business relationship that you have and value?
Imagine how you would feel if you received a call from a vendor or supplier that went something like this.
“Hello Harper, this is Fred with Ariel Supply Company. How are things going at Titan Manufacturing? Harper, I'm calling to let you know how much we appreciate having you as a customer. We truly enjoy doing business with people like you and I want you to know we will never take our relationship for granted. Thank you for the trust you place in us to provide you with the best products and services for your business. By all means, please reach out to me if I can ever be of service to you in any way.”
Note there is no sales pitch, only an expression of gratitude. It is a true “Love Call” prompted by the desire to acknowledge the value of the customer. It is possible that Harper may have been waiting for a solicitation and somewhat surprised that there was none.
It has been said that gratitude is the greatest of all virtues and that expressing gratitude is one of the most important ingredients in maintaining goodwill among customers. A simple phone call to customers to say “thank you” can go a long way in cultivating loyalty and repeat business. Even better, if the call comes from a senior leader at the company or from someone other than the individual who normally services the account, it will be even more impactful because is shows appreciation across all channels of the business, not just sales. Such calls are often remembered and appreciated long after the initial gesture and can result in a significant amount of referral business. In today's competitive business environment, it pays to cultivate customer loyalty and appreciation. Don't underestimate the power of a sincere expression of gratitude - it could be just the thing you need to take your business to the next level. So, pick up the phone and “just call to say `I love you’”.
