In my favourite ever movie, The Princess Bride, Westley is the farm boy on the farm belonging to Buttercup’s parents, and Buttercup takes every chance to order Westley around. Fetch this, polish that… to every order, Westley simply replies, “As you wish.”
After many years of this, Buttercup realises that when he says, “As you wish,” what he means is, “I love you.” And from then on the story is a romance. (Albeit one with fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…)
Now Buttercup wasn’t very bright. (Read the book if you don’t believe me.) It took her years to realise that Westley was declaring his love with his statements and actions. She might never have figured it out, which wouldn’t have made much of a story. And you know whose fault it would have been if she’d never realised that Westley loved her?
It would have been his fault. Completely.
In Westley’s case, it was because his beauteous love wasn’t very fast on the uptake. But she could equally have been too modest to believe that someone could love her, or too busy to read the deeper meaning from his actions, or she could have her own ideas on how to mutely declare deep feelings (“If he truly loved me, he would secretly gather flowers and put them on my pillow.”)
And Westley was there, in the flesh. (Such flesh. Sigh.) Looking into Buttercup’s eyes and proudly declaring, “As you wish.” Seeing her reactions. Speaking volumes in body language. (Such a bo… ahem.) Can you imagine this playing out through IM chat? Buttercup would die a very old maid.
And of course this is my point. You love your customers, you admire them from the crown of their genius head to their adorable little toesies.
But have you told them?
Not hinted, not acted, not as-you-wish served them… actually used the phrase, “I love you”?
But but but, Catherine… you can’t do that! It’s not professional. It’s maybe a bit weird. No-one simply tells their customers that they love them!
I do. Regularly. Both in the singular and in the plural.
Surely what you actually say is, “My people are great,” or something.
Nope. I love Karen, I love LaVonne, I love Monette, I love Tricia, I love Bill – who I’d never met a week ago! – I love all my people.
Doesn’t that feel really weird to say?
The first few times, sure.
And it doesn’t hurt your business?
Hell no! That’s the whole point of Customer Love, isn’t it? People want to be loved. It’s hard to hint at that across a farmyard, let alone across an ethernet. And while there are ten thousand ways to subtly indicate that you adore your customers, the easiest way to get the message across is to simply TELL THEM.
Have you told your customers that you love them today? Get adoring!
(Oh, and there ARE such things as ROUSes. Be careful going through the Fire Swamp.)
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Woho! Catherine!
Your words are so innocent, beautiful and sensibly sincere : )
You are like a little young kid selling refreshing healthy limonade to old farmers at the village in a very hot summer day of labour; and since you offer free fresh crsitalline water for customers and non customers, all the villagers love you, tourists love you, travellers love you, everyone loves you!
So in the name of all villagers, We Love You Catherine : )
Thank you, dearest. 🙂
Yes. I used to think that I was being too much if I said, “Catherine I adore you. Thank you for our connection. It changed my life.” On the contrary. That level of expression is just right. Anything else would be lying.
You’re right! Thank YOU, Linda. Our connection was very special to me and I love you and your work, too. 🙂
Ah, Catherine, I love you!
This post actually made me think of my sweetie, who isn’t big on words. Thankfully, I *did* recognize that his actions declared loudly how he felt about me, otherwise I’d be much the poorer!
And when he *does* use his words, it makes me all tingly and happy.
Previous sweethearts have been big on words, but not necessarily on actions, and I gotta say, the words sure won me over! But without the truly loving behavior and actions, they weren’t enough to keep the relationship going.
Lesson: actions are essential, but words are important too!
Well said! Mutual love society is SMART.
Sigh…….. I am so overwhelmed – in a good way!
One of my favorite (spelled differently) movies as well and a declaration of love. Yes, and I love you right back – there I said it! I think I need to lie down; all the excitement has given me the vapours 🙂
Hugs!
(Sniff, sniff…you’re not surprised.)
Because you’re Catherine, that’s not the first time you’ve told me that, but it gets me every time. Because you’re Catherine.
You make sure that we know how much you love us before you ever lay eyes on us. 😀
I was a goner from your way back when manifesto. It was like you were waiting just for me and my work. Like you would like nothing better than to help me love my people. And that’s when I gave you my heart, because it felt like it was already apparently in your safe-keeping.
Forever my love, dearest. 🙂
Sorry to be late to the party. Love accepted, love returned. Now I have to get to back to it. You gave me some important assignments to complete.
Indeedly! Your diligence is one of the many reasons to love you, if reasons were needed.