The Prosperity Equation

by Jim Ziegler

Incredible Customer Service

Although he probably doesn't realize it, another one
of my personal marketing heroes is a man named
Bruce Arnett who owns Carnett's Carwashes in Gwinnett County, Georgia, right in my own neighborhood. I've known Bruce for more than ten years now.

I met Bruce Arnett as a result of a nasty letter I wrote to him back in 1990. I was severely upset about something or another that had happened when I was dealing with his carwash. Truthfully, I haven't the foggiest idea of what happened to get me so upset; but I was really ticked off at the time.

Bruce tried to call me several times at home and at the office but I wouldn't take his calls. He wrote me a letter and I refused to respond. Then one day, he just showed up at my office demanding to see me. This guy cared about a single lost customer enough to drive thirty miles across town to my offices in the middle of his workday to apologize and do whatever it took to make it right.

Bruce Arnett definitely realizes the lifetime value of just one single customer. Most businesses would have written me off. Certainly, very few businessmen would have taken the time and made the effort to rescue a single lost customer. Bruce Arnett is a very successful businessman and his time is valuable. Nevertheless, he doggedly and relentlessly pursued me until he recaptured my business. Now, that's incredible customer service. I have done business with Carnett's Carwashes for more than a decade now, and there isn't even a thread of a possibility that I would allow anyone else to touch my cars.

I always get the Ultimate Carwash, which is their best service. It is more than thirty dollars per visit, if I don't buy any auto accessories or personal items. Sometimes, I have my car done three or four times in a single month. My wife has her BMW washed there several times a month, and I even trust them to wash and wax my vintage Corvette. In addition, I always tip the people out front. We are great customers and that's the way they treat us. But, I've discovered that's how they treat everyone. Bruce Arnett must have come from the same school I did. It's obvious he realizes your past customers are your best and cheapest source of new business.

From the moment you hit the drive you realize this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, everyday kind of carwash. Like Bruce himself, Carnett's is a class act. The young woman approaches the car and calls me by name. I would prefer to think she knows my name because I am such a big shot, because I am such an important customer, but then I realized she also called the very next customer by their name. I watched her for a minute and I saw what she was doing. Carnett's Carwash has a database that lists my car's license number. She had already pulled up my account. She knew my name and my history before I even got out of the car.

"Will you be having the Ultimate Wash again, Mr. Ziegler?" she asks. "We have a special on the Shine Express Service this week. Want to hear about it?" All of these people are friendly and enthusiastic. On the walls are framed articles from newspapers and magazines about the Arnett family and their contributions to our community. This is a high-energy place. It just makes you feel good being there. You genuinely get the feeling they are glad you're here.

Walking up the ramp into the building you can't help but notice how spotless the place is. All of the employees are well-dressed, in uniform shorts, baseball caps, and tops. The cashier knows me; she's been there are long time. There's something good about doing business with familiar people. She reminds me this is my eighth wash, just two more trips before I earn a free one. I had just bought a new Cadillac Escalade and was still heavily under the new car ether. I always have a special honeymoon period with every new car I buy. I was browsing through the gifts and accessories in the Carnett's boutique while I was waiting for my car to be washed. Most carwashes make some sort of feeble attempt to sell a couple of aftermarket items with little, tacky pegboard displays located near the cash register. This is different! Carnett's has this really big, well-lit, extremely nice boutique area with everything from the traditional car scents and accessories to greeting cards. Although I wasn't particularly in the market for any new car accessories that day, I am an impulse buyer, with references. Let's face it, a professional salesman like me is an easy target for a sale.

There it was, hanging on the wall just above the air freshener display, a custom chrome tag with a raised gold Cadillac emblem. I knew it would look great on the front of my new car. Of course, you already know the rest of the story. Before I could take another breath, I was frothing at the mouth, eyes glazed over, with a credit card in my hand. I bought that beautiful chrome and gold plate for the Escalade, which amounted to an additional seventy-five dollars, over and above the price of the wash.

These principles work for all types of businesses regardless of whether it's a retail business selling directly to the public as in these examples or whether it's a business-to-business sales and marketing application. I have both types of sales in my companies.

Mr. Jim Ziegler, renowned keynote speaker and seminar producer specializing in business networking, sales and prosperity is one of our local celebrities in Georgia. He is a dynamic trainer and motivator and designs training materials to help executives and corporations attain new levels of success and profitability. Here's what Mr. Ziegler writes about Carnett's Car Washes in his book, The Prosperity Equation. Please visit Mr. Ziegler's website to learn more about what he can offer you and your business (http://www.zieglerdynamics.com/).

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