The extra mile
June 21, 2004 | 12:00am
A lot of people often ask me where I go to "groom" myself. A lot of people don’t know it but when I get asked that question, I often try to avoid answering it directly.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I am proud of the place I go to. In fact, I love it so much that I am there almost every week. And I am not ashamed to say that I go to a beauty salon. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. A lot of guys I know (real guys, OK?) prefer beauty salons over barber shops. Besides, when I do go there, I see a lot of guys having themselves "serviced" – either having a pedicure, a hot oil treatment, getting their legs waxed, or enjoying a half body massage. Personally, I go for their patented foot spa. It’s my weekly pampering ritual, a luxury I indulge in after a long and hectic week.
Unfortunately, however, the name of my favorite grooming place, er, beauty salon isn’t exactly flattering for a guy like me. In fact, it might even cast some serious doubts on my sexual preference. But despite the name, I go there regularly.
What’s the name? Oh boy, do I really have to tell you? Fine, OK. But keep it a secret, alright? My reputation’s on the line. My favorite grooming place is called Be Beautiful For Him beauty salon.
OK don’t laugh! I know the name doesn’t exactly evoke images of a macho barber giving you that nice masculine shave, or a thug-like brute giving you a manly, bone-breaking shoulder massage (like the ones they give you in barber shops). Nope, Be Beautiful For Him is anything but. On the contrary, the entire staff is composed of women (which could be the main reason why I go there in the first place) and you don’t see bottles of Green Cross Rubbing Alcohol and brushes made of horse hair lying around. It’s really a haven for women. But why do I (and a lot of other guys) go there regularly (despite of and inspite of the unusual name)? Why am I a loyal customer?
The answer is simple: They go the extra mile. Be Beautiful For Him is really different from all the other barbers and salons I have gone to. When my wife asked me to accompany her for the first time to Be Beautiful For Him, I said, "Oh c’mon, honey, you gotta be kidding, right? You can’t expect me to have myself serviced in a beauty salon with a name like that!" But when we got there, I immediately fell in love with the place. The staff is genuinely friendly and very personable. You don’t get a typical de-kahon and fake-sounding greeting like "Good morning sir, welcome to Be Beautiful for Him!" Nope. When you get there, you feel like you’re going to a family reunion or an alumni homecoming. When my wife and I entered, they all greeted my wife cheerfully and said, "Oy, Teemy kamusta ka na? Miss ka na namin! Anong gusto mo ngayon? Hot oil ka?" It was a very casual and friendly atmosphere. Not fake at all. It was a place where I could put my foot up and my hair down – that is, if I had long hair.
The owner of the place, whom we call Tita Baby, is like a mother to every customer – and she’s certainly like a mother to us. She goes the extra mile to make everyone feel comfortable – like the place was really your home. And it’s not an easy task considering she has customers from different socio-economic classes. She has ordinary, every day customers, and she also has loyal patrons who are señoras and señoritas from Bel-Air and Rockwell. Heck, even celebrities go there!
The reason for Be Beautiful For Him’s success – despite the unusual name – is really that added, unexpected personal service that goes with their exceptional standard service. The unexpected discount here, the additional toe-cleaning service there. These extra services – over and beyond what’s in the "menu" – make me, my wife, and a whole bunch of people loyal to Be Beautiful For Him. Funny, Be Beautiful For Him is really just that "little beauty parlor" around the corner – and yet, it has been around for 30 years, living purely on the profits of one branch!
Our boss told us that after closing a deal, a salesperson must take that extra mile of assuring the client. During the sales pitch and negotiation, salespeople go on a non-stop litany of assuring the prospect that he is offering a good deal. That’s natural because that’s what a salesperson does – try to sell another person something. A salesperson must convince the prospect that he is offering a good deal. But once the deal is closed, salespeople tend to relax and say to themselves, "Great! Whew! Now I move on to my next deal." But if salespeople know better, they will go that extra mile for the prospect-now-turned-client by assuring him after he signs. A good sales person, after closing the deal should say something like "You know what, you entered into a good deal. You won’t regret it." The prospect-turned-client will notice that. Because he knows you don’t have to B.S. him anymore at that stage – you already got the deal! So there’s no longer any motive for you to praise him or convince him. But if you do that extra comment – after the deal is signed – he will realize that you are really sincere. And this "extra mile" will almost always guarantee you a crack at renewing this deal once the first deal expires. And as they say, the key to keeping your business is keeping your customers happy.
I should know, for a couple of years ago, I found myself shopping around for a car. These days, there are many models to choose from, given a particular budget. My friend Dante Reyes, who is now one of the top executives in Nissan Commonwealth, told me to buy a Cefiro. He showed me the brand’s features and advantages over all other cars in its category. Eventually, he got me convinced – primarily because he didn’t act like a typical sales person. He didn’t ram things down my throat. He was very gentle but firm on his convictions about his product. He didn’t flinch at any question I brought up. But what struck me most about Dante was this – after closing the deal, he told me, "Pare, you really got yourself a nice car. And if you have any problems – any problems at all, just call me. But I don’t foresee that happening. That’s really a great buy."
To me, it was the best thing to hear, after blowing a considerable amount of money. Like I said, in this day and age, there are a lot of options. Nothing is more comforting than hearing someone who just sold you something reconfirming that, indeed, you got yourself a good deal. Dante knows the concept of the extra mile. In fact, he and Nissan have gone way beyond the extra mile. Three years after he sold me the car, Dante still calls me up, asking me how it is, and whether I have already submitted it for its regular 5,000-km. check-up. Recently, I called Dante up to tell him about a minor problem. He had my car picked up from my place and, after servicing it, he had it delivered back. With no extra charge.
Dante may not know it but his going the extra mile to service me and going beyond what I expected of him, has earned him brownie points in my book. And it has only reinforced my loyalty to his company and its products. Safe to say, even if I eventually do have other brands of cars, I will always have at least one Nissan in my garage. That’s the ultimate effect of something that doesn’t cost much to do – a loyal customer. And we all know it’s hard to keep a loyal customer these days.
So any which way you look at it, the extra mile makes you go a long, long way. So what are you waiting for? Do it.
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