A bell on the door tinkles as we enter. Sandy looks up from her post behind the cash register and say, “Your usual Susan?”

Sandy turns then and raises one eyebrow. She knows I always have to make my mind up. I place my order and we go find a table.

A few minutes later she brings our order. Susan’s regular is not on the menu. But Sandy and her husband Sean know exactly what she wants. They made suggestions and listened until they got it “just right”.

Susan asked once, “How do you remember not just my order but those of every regular that comes through the door?”

I added, ‘She does it with folks I bring in for lunch as well. Even when it was months between visits she remembered that Brent wanted his mild.”

“Is no magic. I like my customers, like help them. They happy, come back again.”

Sandy and Sean run a little Teriyaki restaurant we frequent about once a week They don’t have sophisticated computerized software. Regardless of what she says, Sandy practices Customer Relationship Magic.

Here’s how you can put a little magic in your relationship with customers:

1. Put your client data in the wetware as well as the software. Your brain has the capability of handling huge amounts of data and it is particularly good when the data is related to someone you see frequently. You can still store relevant information in your contact management or CRM software but clients and customers react much more favorably to being recognized and treated “special.”

2. Ask them what you can do better and listen. At one point I was recovering from surgery and my appetite was not back to normal. Sandy came over, took a seat and said “You no like? Can I get you something else?” I told her I was recuperating and she said, “Til you get better I tell Sean to make you half portion and we add some Broccoli. It good for you.”  Yes, she is a bit of a “Mother hen” but I appreciate the fact I’m treated as an individual. Your clients and customers will as well.

3. Help them set expectations. Knowing up front what they can expect makes the folks you provide products and services for much easier to deal with. The more definite you are about what you are going to deliver and when the more satisfied they will be. The more open you are about candidly responding to their concerns the stronger their bond to you will be. And the more often they will recommend you as someone that “lives up to their promises.”