I remember one day chatting with him, in his pharmacy. I had gone into the new branch, just to look around, and on my way out I noticed, imprinted on the wall above the door, the words, Thanks, eh! I can see his face now, when I told him how that sign made me smile. At the time, he said to me, he just wanted to acknowledge his customers, let them know he appreciated their business, in a very Trini way. He thought that signed did it. I agree.

I’ve been thinking of that lately, you know, as a customer. I’m very rarely ever thanked for my business. I can’t think of a time when I’m finished at the cashier and she says to me, “Thanks for your business”. Or how about at the bank. Wouldn’t it be great to get a letter just thanking you for all the years you’ve done business with them? Not selling anything, just saying thanks. What about your employees? How many of them are longing for a simple, thank you for a good day’s work?

The more I think about it, the more I realize, that many times we forget to be thankful and somehow become expectant. We expect that our customers will always do business with us. We expect our employees to perform well for us. We expect to make a profit. As a matter of fact we must make a profit, what’s the point of business otherwise? And this is precisely why we must say thanks. In her article, The Power of Saying Thank You, Joanna Krotz poses the question - Who can afford to let competitors rush onto the new and the next while we slow down for pleasantries? She continues, “Today, extending old-time courtesies helps you stand out. Yes, boys and girls, saying "thank you" has become a competitive advantage.” Believe it or not.

Here are some tips from Joanna Krotz on saying thank you:

1. Throw a bash that boosts their business.
In New York, TelX, an interconnection facility, invites all its vendors to an annual party to say thanks. The event, called the "Customer Business Exchange," is held in a large hall with tables where participants can set up demos or materials. TelX arranges for snacks and an open bar. The party attracts about 400 telecom customers who get the opportunity to network in a comfortable way. "Typically, millions of dollars of deals are generated out of these events," says Rory Cutaia, TelX chief executive.

2. Be warm and personal.

3. Pass along compliments

4. Send value-added appreciation

5. Appreciate employees.
Saying thanks to employees has several benefits. You build staff loyalty (and we all know how much turnover can cost in time, money and stress). And you increase productivity, which leads to customer greater satisfaction. Yet few managers or business owners bother. A scant 10% of employees report they have supervisors who say a daily "thank you" for a job well done, according to a recent nationwide Maritz poll. More than half of employees (55%) said they were thanked never, seldom or only occasionally

6. Thank your complaining customers.
Research indicates that the majority of dissatisfied customers don't bother to complain, points out B. J. Gallagher, an HR training consultant based in Los Angeles. They simply vote with their wallets and go elsewhere. That means complaints are a valuable gift in providing a heads-up about where to focus. "A customer who complains still wants to do business with you, if you can make things right," says Gallagher. "So thank him or her for giving you that chance and assure him that you want to do everything you can to make him happy again."

I believe that Mr. Marchack, understood this clearly. Having been a customer of his for many years, I experienced it personally and observed it professionally. So, in his words and to all my readers, Thanks, eh!

Lorraine Villaroel is Marketing Manager, Quality Service of IBB Ltd.
Email her at quality@ibbglobal.com 
IBB is licensed by Leadership Management International and The Service Quality Institute for the Caribbean region