We need kindness more than ever and smart businesses are offering it
The COVID fog rolled in and an act of kindness got me home.
I was at my car with a full cart of groceries, but no keys. I rifled through every bag and made sure the keys weren’t locked in my car.
I circled back to the checkout line, swung by customer service and retraced my route up and down the aisles.
The store was closing in 40 minutes.
The manager took pity, stopped restocking shelves and joined the search. He offered to watch the cart and recheck the grocery bags while I scoured the store for a third time. The manager found the keys buried in a bunch of grapes. I couldn’t remember when or why I’d put the keys there.
Lots of customers are distracted and losing things, said the manager. He was possibly being more kind than truthful.
Either way, empathy is exactly what you should be showing your customers and employees, says Martin Lindstrom in Buyology for a Coronavirus World. We need kindness now more than ever and smart businesses are offering it. “Right now there are a lot of people in need,” says Lindstrom. “Old people struggle to shop without having to leave their home and expose themselves to the virus. Waiters, bartenders, and airline crews have lost their jobs, with no new jobs in sight. Kids’ schools have closed, though mom and dad are still expected at the office. Nurses are working day and night. The list goes on and on, adding up to hundreds of millions of people affected by the crisis. All are in need.”
While offering extra help to your existing customers will cost you, it’ll be less than what you’ll spend trying to find new customers.
“In times of need, you can really make a difference — and your customers will notice. In difficult times, you can cement a lifelong relationship. You can build your brand.”
During the financial crisis of 2008, car buyers were offered the Hyundai Assurance. The company promised drivers they could return their new vehicles if they lost their jobs within a year. Sales went up by double digits while only five cars were returned.
Compare this to companies that are ignoring or taking advantage of customers. Lindstrom calls out an airline that hung up on him and another that’s charging $50 upfront for every call you make, regardless of why you’re calling.
“What strikes me is that most airlines, car rental companies, hotels, supermarkets, insurance companies — you name it — behave like they never plan to interact with customers again. It’s as if this is the end of the world. They may know something I don’t, but I hold another opinion.”
Lindstrom also says now’s the time to rethink and reinvent your business. The prospect of another shutdown, an economy that’s slow to restart and customers who’ve broken their addiction to overspending should give you the sense of added urgency required to bust out of your comfort zone.
“This crisis is written on every wall, door and panel. I don’t think a single soul will deny it so use it to your advantage. Give everyone in your organization, from the receptionist to top management, a simple but profound task: rethink your business model. Ask the profound questions. If we need to change everything from the ground up, what industry are we really in?”
Legacies will be defined during the pandemic. We’ll remember how you made us feel long after COVID-19’s defeated. So be kind, do good, rethink and reinvent.
“What’s happening right now is a lot more than a story for our grandchildren and the next generation to come. This is the moment when you define your legacy as a leader. You won’t be remembered for wins or losses, but for how you were there for your employees and customers.”
Lindstrom is doing good by making his pocketbook available for free. Download your digital copy at martinlindstrom.com/buyology-pocketbook/.