Free can be very profitable

Ron’s story reminded me of Chris Zane, owner of a bike shop in Connecticut. Known for his amazing customer service, Chris employs a policy of not charging the customer for anything costing less than a dollar. For example, a customer who needs a master link, a small part which holds the chain together, will not be charged. Zane says, “The cost to me is virtually nothing. We’re not going to chase the pennies. We’re looking at the long-term effect of giving someone a master link. And you should see the look on people’s faces!” It turns out this policy costs Zane less than $100 a year—a small price to pay for loyal customers who are worth thousands of dollars over time.

Sometimes your kind gesture can have no monetary value at all. It’s just a little effort, taking time out to do something nice for a customer or potential customer. Take the story of one of my newsletter subscribers. He told of having car trouble and becoming stranded on the road. A limo driver was passing by and asked if he could drop him off at a service station—no charge. The driver was just being a Good Samaritan, but it paid off handsomely, because my subscriber owns a company that now hires this limo driver for all his trips to the airport.

Sometimes “free” can be a very lucrative customer service strategy. It adds value, promotes good will and builds trust with customers. Even the smallest thing, if valuable to your customers, can create what you’re really after: their loyalty.

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• People before profits
• Buy her a giant gummy bear
• Don’t forget the customer service

Shep Hyken is a professional speaker and best-selling author. For more information on Shep’s speaking presentations, call 314-692-2200, email [email protected] or go to www.hyken.com.