PODCAST INTRO: Hello, and welcome to “Cleaning Processes with Jerry”, a podcast dedicated to building an online community of like-minded individuals and businesses in the cleaning industry. We will share ideas, tips and solutions to solve problems and expand our markets. Please join me every Monday morning where we introduce a special guest that just might be you. I'm a 40 year veteran of the chemical industry, specifically dealing with food, beverage and hospitality. I work for the largest fillable chemical company called “ChemStation”, where I'm based out of New England. I also run the blog “Hospitality Cleaning 101”. The opinions shared will be mine, and I believe responsible for them.
Jerry Bauer: Hello, this is Jerry, with the podcast Cleaning Processes with Jerry. Today, it's Presidents Day. I've worked all morning because my customers worked all morning. So I decided this afternoon I was going to do a podcast. And I'm going to do a podcast concerning a blog post said I hope to post later today. It's titled “Uncovering the difference between clients and customers”. Trust me, I'm in my 60s and I've looked at this as being both the customer as well as the salesperson. So no matter what side you're on, I hope that you enjoy this podcast by learning and looking at the way we process transactions, and how we can enjoy them better. Another words, I've always known there was a difference. But something recently happened to me that made me think about it a whole lot more. Recently, I went to a funeral for my barber’s wife, the gentleman who cuts my hair. His wife had passed away recently, and I thought more so was an obligation on my part to go because I was with him when he had received some news that his wife had made a turn. Technically, I hate to say for the worst, but she had peaked and had to make some adjustments apostle, I was there when they called and he put the phone on speakerphone and made me uneasy. And weeks later, she passed and I said, I'm gonna have to go to this funeral, which I did. When I arrived at the services, he came over and he introduce me to his family as one of his clients. I really kind of expected him to say, “This is Jerry, one of my customers”. The word client kind of threw me because immediately and you'll understand. Immediately afterwards, his daughter came over and hugged me, and his granddaughter came over and hugged me. I wasn't that closer friend as I had, like eaten at his house, going out to restaurants with him or anything like that. I almost said a customer of his but now it was obvious. I was a client of his and he was a barber. I've always known that there was a difference between the terms. However, as a sales person as myself at that, what am I missing? For over 50 years, I've been a consumer. And I've had the same instances. 30 years ago, and I only thought of this as I was writing out at blog post and notes for this. It reminded me that 30 years ago, I was invited to a nationwide known hairstylist school to give a presentation, not on chemicals, but actually on the same subject “The difference between a client and a customer”. 30 years later, it comes back into my life. And I seem to be like you, I hope or some days you're just confused. You have forgotten something from your past, and how much it treats you today?
When it comes to business, there's often confusion surrounding the terms clients and customers. People often use them interchangeably but there's an important distinction between the two. Understanding the difference between the client, the term client and the term customer is essential for any business owner, salesperson, or even a client as you and I as we help make decisions. In this podcast, we're going to take a deeper dive and uncovering some of the differences between clients and customers, we're going to explore some of the benefits of understanding the differences. At the end, be more comprehensive for all of us. The only example in today's world, this probably isn't the best example. And I hope someone writes me and tells me, the example I should have used is, let's say, going out for a cup of coffee. If you go out to get a cup of coffee in the morning, and you go to Dunkin Donuts, which I love their coffee, you're always going to be just a customer. It's something transactional, it's fast. You're not necessarily going back the next day. You want a hot cup of coffee, and they're gonna give it to you. They personally don't give the attitude if you come back the next day or not. They're just there to make the transaction go as smooth as possible for you today. Now, Starbucks, which I'm not the biggest fan of their coffee, but Starbucks tries to make you “Be a client”. You walk in, there's more inner experience. They ask you more questions. They hopefully interchange with you more. If you just go into a Starbucks, as when I do, I know you can ask for hot coffee with oatmeal, honey, splash of this thing of that, and they're gonna make it exactly that way. Why just go in as looking at it as transactional. I just want to go in for a hot black cup of coffee. I don't even know the names they have their, the Blonde, the Grande, I just say a medium black coffee. What do they say? Can I have your name, please? They want my name so they put it on my cup. I mean, I just turn around and fill it turn around and hand it to me. But they make it more of an experience. They want to know my name. They want me to come back the next day. They want it to be an experience. So that's how I'm looking at the difference between a client and a customer.
Again, I'm sure somebody out there has another company two companies, they can compare side by side that can show this a lot better. And please write me, send me a message send me an email, let me know because I'm anxious to hear from you. But there is a difference between being a client and a customer. The difference between them is subtle. But it's essential to understand customer someone who purchase a product or service from your business or view of the consumer, you're buying it from Dunkin Donuts. We're the end user. If we want to be clients, we want a more in depth relationship. Such as Starbucks, some people are looking for that relationship. They like their name to be called out. They like to be recognized. I think they just actually add more things to their coffee. I don't know if some of the people print their coffee, but they add so many items to it just because they want to feel the attention. Their coffee, frequently, 30%, 40% probably more expensive in purchasing. We as salespeople if you're a salesperson selling a cleaning, or a chemical product, I use cleaning rather than chemicals. If you're running your cleaning service, like we've had on this podcast, a cleaning service they can do or they doing it where they want a weekly service, daily service, or possibly, maybe it's a cleaning services doing house has been damaged from flood. Well, they're not necessarily going to want a weekly service from them or monthly actually hope the person doesn't have a flood again. But they still probably are trying to get a relationship with the end user. It's not something that it's bought today and then never bought again. Understanding the difference between clients and customers can help you market your products and services. You’re knowing your target audience so you can enable and create a more marketing campaign. I looked at my customer list this past December. And I didn't put names on them. I didn't say, these are transactional just customers, and these are clients. Probably in my head I did. Because my clients received a Christmas card from me. Customers did not see. A customer, someone who purchases my product, or my services in they're usually the end user buying it for yours. Customers also, they're looking for a quick purchase, I need does this day, you don't need to give me more information. Do I needed again? I might ask you for another quote. They just want it to be hassle free, smooth, experience one and done. Now the client, they want something more long term. They're probably looking for a training classes, they might need help with a booklet for SDSS, and they might need different support outside of my company where they asked me more questions. I really made a decision. At the end of the year, this was after Christmas cards went out where I really wanted to spend in the year 2023 more time with my clients than my customers.
There's a good reason why. Usually they're more valuable. Usually they can do more for me through references, buying additional products, and more support for the business I actually have. Again, we could call that references when it comes time to market to your clients or customers. And frequently we mark it through different ways, email blasts, phone calls, maybe something in a publication, maybe through LinkedIn, usually, I'm only marketing for clients. Nothing to put down with customers. Because the customers just come and go. Clients are the ones that stay. You might actually change the wording. And I have on transactional needs in my emails, all my messages for something transaction being transactional, I might put in page two what the price is. Here it is. This is what we have. This is what's in, it is transactional. Clients, I normally never quote a price. It's something that's out there while we negotiate it upon looking at their needs. The client is hiring me. Client is not hiring necessarily my comp, not necessarily my product. They're hiring me, no matter if I'm selling chemicals, no matter if I'm selling your cleaning service, no matter what I'm selling, they're hiring me for my expertise. Going back to the barber. I was hiring him for more than just a transaction. I thought it was a transaction of a haircut but he was more than just that to me. That's actually why I was going to it. I was going to him because he offered to me information that was local. I'm not necessarily from the area I live. I wasn't born and raised here. He can tell me about restaurants I never been heard of, thought of, places to go. I had a piece of equipment that I need at work now. It wasn't my lawnmower was a weed whacker. And he said, I was just down at Lowe's and they had one for sale better operate and you could get it for more than what you a brand new one, more than what you're going to pay to fix this one. I went down to Lowe's and they did. And I purchased a brand new one off of his advice. That's because I was his client. I wasn't his customer. I was just his customer. He just be cutting my hair, I'd be given some money and bye. Frequently, the barber the hairless stylist doesn't even ask you if you hope to see you next month. That's again another whole story for another day. That's when my speech went about when I gave my talk to this hairstyle was school.
So when we go after new business, make a decision, are you going after the client or going after the customer? I believe any book of business, no matter if you're a salesperson, no matter if you're the owner of the company. You need a good balance of both. If you're the consumer, you have to make a decision what you want. I know many people buy gasoline from a local gas station because they have a relationship with the person, they know the owner's name. The owners might come out and say “Hi” to them, stuff like that. That's changed the last couple of years. But people are known to spend more money when have a relationship. Again, this goes for you are you selling, or if you're buying. Now I'm gonna put up a much longer blog post on this app Hospitality Cleaning 101. I hope you go and read it, read some of the ideas, some thoughts on this whole process and get back to me and tell me what other businesses I could be thinking. Because again, no matter if you're buying or selling, you have to look at your position as I go into this transaction. Am I looking for client or customer?
PODCAST OUTRO: I hope you've enjoyed today's show. I hope you tell others about this show. Hopefully you share it, like it. Follow me on LinkedIn. Follow me at one of the other social channels. Love to have you as a guest, and love to hear from you. This is Cleaning Processes with Jerry and until next time, wash your hands frequently. Wash them for at least 20 to 30 seconds and stay safe. Thank you.
