I'm not

certain when and where I decided not to put up with poor

service any longer, but, whenever and wherever that was,

it changed the way I do business.

In the

dog-eat-dog world of competition, customer service can

make or break a company. Some years ago, I lived in a

community that had only one fast food restaurant, a

member of a nationally known chain. The food was decent

enough but the attention to detail was lacking and the

attitude of the employees was sorry.

If one

ordered at the drive-through window, the odds were that,

somehow, the order would be filled incorrectly. There

were literally dozens of times that I would arrive home

with the meal only to find items that I had ordered and

paid for missing. When complaints were given by

consumers, the attitude of store management was "Oh,

well. Shop somewhere else."

The

problem, of course, was that there was nowhere else to

shop.

All that

changed one day when a competing restaurant was built

next door. For months people talked about having a

choice. When the new facility opened, its parking lots

were overflowing while, across the street, the lot was

virtually empty. The food at the new establishment wasn't

as tasty as the cuisine at the older restaurant. But the

employees were friendly, orders were correctly filled,

and mistakes were quickly acknowledged and corrected.

It didn't

take long for the older restaurant to go out of business.

The customers had voted with their feet.

Joe Girard,

who was a legend in the automobile sales world and earned

the title of "the world's greatest salesman,"

wrote in his book, "How to Sell Anything to

Anybody," about his "Rule of 250." Simply

put, Girard's "Rule of 250" states that every

person who comes into a business has the ability to

influence 250 other people either for you or against you

in their lifetime.

He contends

that, if a customer is treated with respect and dignity,

if problems are corrected, that person, if satisfied,

will likely send an average of 250 people to that

business over the years. Conversely, a customer who has

been demeaned, insulted, argued with or cheated with go

out of his way to influence his 250 contacts to never do

business in that place.

Even a

shopper who buys nothing will relate his experience of

his good treatment or his mistreatment to others. So, it

makes good business sense to satisfy the customer.

It is

surprising how many businesses fail to understand the

Rule of 250. Some time ago, one of my sons took his car

to a car lot where he hoped to trade automobiles. He left

his car on the lot and test drove a car and a tentative

deal was struck. The agreement fell through but when he

went to retrieve his vehicle he was presented with a bill

for $176. "For what?!" he inquired.

He had

never given authorization for repairs to be made but the

car lot did them anyway. When he refused to pay for the

unauthorized repairs, even though he had returned the

dealership's car, the dealership refused to return his

car.

This

stalemate continued for weeks and I finally became

involved. I made numerous phone calls which resulted in

nothing. I was variously stalled, transferred, patronized

and ignored, depending on the day.

I even

talked to an attorney who agreed that the dealership had

committed an unethical and possibly illegal act but was

advised that it would cost more in court costs and

attorney's fees that the $176. Finally, I met with a

representative of the business who would not budge one

inch.

Several

compromises were offered but the dealership arrogantly

refused every overture. If the car was to be returned,

the bill - unauthorized or not - had to be

paid.

After I

handed the check to the manager (and my son had the keys

to the car), I said, "I just want you to know that

this will be the most expensive $176 you will ever

receive." "Harrump. How do you figure

that?" he asked. I reminded him of Girard's Rule of

250 and promised that, as long as there was breath in my

body, I would make it my personal business to steer as

much business away from his establishment as I could.

"You

can't do that!" he exclaimed. "Oh, I can and I

will," I retorted. "We'll take legal

action," he said. "For what? Telling the

truth?" I asked. "Why you aren't even a

customer!" he enjoined. I reminded him that I was

indeed a customer since he had one hundred and

seventy-six of my dollars.

I figure

that, so far, I have had about 50 people tell me they are

thinking about buying a car since that unpleasant

experience. So far, I have told the story of my

experience with this dealer about 50 times.

To my

knowledge, not one of those people has even stepped on

the lot.

Fifty

potential customers lost - as much as $1 million (if

you figure a car sells for $20,000) in lost sales -

all over a $176 bill that could have been easily dealt

with if the dealership had considered the customer

important. And it doesn't end there, for each of the 50

has the ability to influence an additional 250 and on and

on it goes. And I still share my sad story with any of my

friends who care to listen - especially if they are

in the market for cars.

I amply and

gladly reward good service, as many waiters and

waitresses in the area have discovered. I tip well when

the meal is good, the service is attentive, and the diet

cola never runs dry. I am a loyal and consistent customer

at those establishments that believe in doing the job

right and believe in the value of the consumer.

I have

spent many hundreds of dollars at my favorite auto repair

shop and I have sent thousands of dollars to him by way

of referral. All because he has done right by me, has

never cheated me, and has treated me with respect.

I don't

expect perfection - mistakes happen. I just expect

the mistakes to be set right and apologies offered. I am

easy to get along with and easy to please. But I will not

be belittled, offended, argued with, or insulted at any

business more than once. I will take my money and my

business elsewhere and I will do my best to influence

others to do the same.

Do I feel

guilty? Not at all. In the world of business it is said

that success is a matter of the "survival of the

fittest." Businesses who do not value their

customers are not fit to survive.

The Rev.

David Epps is rector of Christ the King Church. He may be

contacted at P. O. Box 2192 Peachtree City 30269 or

on-line at [email protected]

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