Stellar Customer Service

Jerry and Karen Gordon give their VIP clients the top, tress treatment.

They've weathered walk-outs, suffered recessions, seen bull and bear markets, and thrived through it all. So what's Jerry and Karen Gordon's manifesto on maintaining your base? Give people what they want-along with what they've yet to discover they want. One route: Show appreciation through a "new-experience." The goal: Make stellar customer service your primary marketing tool.
 
Explains Jerry Gordon, who along with wife Karen, owns J. Gordon Designs in Chicago, "It costs a lot of cash to market to new customers; advertising is expensive and not always effective. In this economy, we should all make a stronger effort to maintain our existing clientele by providing exemplary customer service, value-added treatments and superior customer-reward programs."

During November and December of last year, Gordon sent the salon's VIP clients (the top 250) a beautifully printed invitation for a complimentary, customized hair treatment, valued at $45. His three-fold intent: Reward top-tier clients, introduce them to a new service and expose them to a new product line. Triple play! The bonuses: The service involved a relaxing experience, and clients were told its high value, which they then equated with themselves. Results? Priceless!