I'm going to share with you a story about driving a truck....But it's actually a huge marketing and business lesson hidden as a trucking blog post :)
Work with me here.....
So, I started driving a truck for a living about 5 months ago. It's taken me across America and all over Canada as well. And when you drive a truck, you end up in truck stops a lot.
In America, they have some amazing stops. None better than Love's Truck Stops. It's a brand that's only in the states but you can see why the parking lots are full every night with trucks, as drivers make sure they stop at this specific stop.
The stores are fully stocked. The washrooms are clean. The showers are spotless. Everything about the entire experience is pretty much perfect and hey they even have these:
This is the Love's Rewards Card.
Everytime you fuel up at Love's or buy anything in their stores, you get points.
Imagine that...Rewarding your customers for their loyalty!
I haven't been to a Love's in a few months but when I was there every day, I got free drinks, free showers and points that I could use as cash in their stores.
So let's review....
- Clean stores & washrooms
- Free drinks & showers
- Rewards card that you can collect points
Now let's give an example of one of the bigger truck stops here in Canada....
It's called Husky.
And while Canada doesn't have the population of America (so less trucks on the road) there are still plenty of truckers on the road.
We have a few different companies that cater to the trucking industry here but let's take a look at how Husky treats their customers...
I just got this email a few days ago with the news that Husky is ending their rewards program. You kind of sort of got the same rewards like Love's but nowhere near the amount of 'free stuff' for being a loyal customer.
So you may think....O.K., the rewards program is ending, they must be putting all that money they will save on creating an amazing experience at their truck stops.
Actually, Husky truck stops are about as run down and dirty as you could possibly imagine. I won't even begin to explain the showers at these stops...
A lot of the truckers I have met have stated that the worst American truck stops are 100 times better than Husky. And they are not lying.
Let's review:
- Rewards program ending
- Dirty stores / truck stops
So what's the lesson here?
Driving across America, you can't find a place to park your truck at Love's truck stops. They are always full. They treat their customers with respect, reward them for their loyalty and keep their stores / showers spotless.
Driving across Canada, Husky parking lots are full of pot holes. The showers and stores are run down and now, they are ending their rewards program.
My take away is this...Treat your business and your customers like gold, they will keep coming back. Treat them like a commodity, and they will leave you.
Want to stay up to date with everything that's going on with the @town-hall witness?
Join our update list below and we'll send you a little surprise for doing so!
Just let us know in the comments below that you joined and provided your username on the blockchain!
(If you can't see the above form, try viewing this post in InLeo)
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
