Customer number one SMS'ed us from Malaysia. She had visited our stall a couple of months back and taken a business card. She wanted one of our products, in fact she wanted 6 of them, and she had a friend calling into the market on the weekend. I confirmed availability, the colour choices, and the price for 6 items. The deal was completed with 3 SMS’s and we have the name of her friend who will be calling on Saturday to pick up the goods. She thanked us for our service and apologised for contacting us out of hours - a completely unnecessary apology.
Customer number two is a local businessman who rang our mobile number after seeing an item on our website and thought it would make an ideal birthday present for his friend. The problem was that he needed to pick it up the next day and take it straight to the birthday party. Could we wrap it for him? No problem. He was delighted.
Three important lessons can be learned from these experiences.
1. Customers are time poor and increasingly looking for convenience in shopping.
2. Customers love the personal experience and service.
3. Without business cards, a website, and mobile contact, we probably would not have gained those sales.
Long live the revolution.