When Clients Become Friends
The predictable result of good customer service
The relationships that have blossomed in my business are just as fulfilling as any of the relationships I nurture anywhere else.
I would never have been able to predict it. A few years ago I stood back and surveyed my collection of clients. To my delight and surprise, it struck me suddenly: they were all friends. Good friends.
From hindsight I can see clearly how it happened. By being myself, and sharing my greatest talents with people who happened to be clients, people were able to enjoy me for who I am. I enjoy my work and share a lot of laughs with them. We eat together and drink coffee together. I help make them happy and successful.
They learn to trust me, and trust is a strong bond. They admire me for my expertise, and that feeds my ego and makes me feel energetic and happy. I admire people who hire me, because they understand business and the value of clear communication for reducing expenses and enhancing sales.
When we talk business, we have good conversations. When we talk about other things — like the state of the nation, social issues, health, kids, love and relationships, sports and movies — we have good conversations. I work hard for them, and they appreciate it. I make their lives easier by making their jobs easier and more satisfying.
But I never could have predicted how far those friendships would go. They were not hollow or insincere or self-serving. They were real.
While subcontracting for a firm, I was delighted when Alice joined our team of consultants and injected some effervescent wit into my day. She was a stand-up comic who could keep me in stitches from the moment she opened her mouth. She instantly took to me, tuning into my apparent need for admiration. She would enter my office, bow down and say, “Oh Wise One, I crave your knowledge,” before asking me a question about justifying margins on an application form.
A couple of years later, our family planned a vacation to Manitoulin Island. Our Volkswagen Rabbit would not be big enough for a week’s luggage and two bicycles, so we had to rent a clunky minivan. But we did not have a credit card, and the rental company would not accept cash. We asked a friend to use their credit card in exchange for cash and they responded with an emphatic “No.” We were stuck. I turned to Alice. “No problem, gal,” she said without a moment’s hesitation, and the deal was done. I never forgot that kind gesture. What more can you ask for in a friend?
Ah yes, friends. My client Kathryn called me up to tell me nothing else but that she had broken up with her boyfriend. I had no idea she was even involved with anyone, so I found it odd, but I accepted its value. It was her way of opening up to me, of moving into a new level in our relationship, from business associates to friends.
Another night I found myself in a dangerous situation. I had only a few hours and limited choices. I had to act fast to find safety. She immediately came to mind, and I did not waste a second. “Kathryn, I need a place to stay. Right away. Do you know anyone who might put me up?”
She did not hesitate. The next day, clad in house clothes and having freshly emptied her spare room of all furniture, she greeted me at her front door, smelling of vinegar and detergent. She gave me a warm hug. I was speechless, grateful, humbled, and relieved. Three years after she first hired me to help her develop a training program, here I was sharing her home. We drank champagne together, ate popcorn and watched Erin Brockovich in our pajamas.
The story does not end there. Kathryn was dating a lovely man whom I met on several occasions. Less than a year later, after they broke up, he and I were doing business together and having a whale of a time doing it. He is now a cherished business associate who inspires me with his savvy, drive, and vision. He took the same leap I did, opening a shop that has already grown by 300%, from one employee to ten.
My clients have shown me friendship in ways I could not have imagined. I found myself recuperating in the trauma ward, nursing wounds that had almost catapulted me over the precipice of life. My clients learned of my brush with death and sent me a clear message: They loved me, they were glad I was okay, I didn’t need to worry about my jobs — they would be there when I was ready to start again. They showered me with phone calls, handmade cards, bouquets of flowers and cute little gifts. My hospital room looked like a florist boutique. I had to start giving flowers away to lonely patients, whenever I ventured down the hall for slow little rides in my wheelchair.
I couldn’t keep one guy away — one guy who had met me only a few weeks earlier and had worked with me on two successful projects. Chris waltzed into my room one afternoon bearing an African violet and cards from his colleagues, as well as a warm hug and a smile.
I almost wept. Barely two weeks earlier, I had helped him with his resume, to find a new position after being let go from my client’s firm. We had sat together in a coffee shop in downtown Toronto, me plunking away on his laptop for 2 hours while I transformed his resume from a boring report to a glowing narrative of his accomplishments. He insisted that he pay me for my work. I said, “Don’t even think about it. Wherever you go, you’ll take me with you. Consider it a gift and a wish for your success.” He protested, all the way to the corner subway entrance in the pouring rain under his beautiful big blue umbrella.
“Here!” he shouted over the screech of the streetcar rails. “Take this!” and he shoved the wooden handle of his umbrella into my hands. I cherished that umbrella ever after.
While still recuperating in the hospital ward, another project remained outstanding. I had just started it a week previous, and had sent the client an invoice. She sent a note via my sister, while I was recovering in the Intensive Care Unit: “Laurie, don’t worry about the guide. I’ll finish it for you.”
She paid me for a job she did herself.
If you own your own business, you are bound to make some lifetime friends just by doing business together. It’s a beautiful thing.
