Are you a transactional business or business built on relationships?

Two fantastic models, hopefully both with the same outcomes happy customers. But one goes about it in a totally different fashion than the other.

When I shop on Amazon, for example, I don’t expect to have any live person answer a question. In fact, I don’t expect to interact with a live person at all, simply transactional. And I know that the research and the reading and the comparing of products is all done by me. And maybe if I have a question, I’ll submit an email and get a response at some later date. When I’m in a relationship type business, my expectation is much different.

At Brokers International, for example, when you walk into our front doors, you are greeted by two live receptionists, always sitting at that front desk, always willing to ask a question and help if they can assist you in any way, oftentimes to get you a beverage before you’re going to meet with someone. We believe that customer experience makes someone feel good. It’s a relationship business.

Let’s start off with a relationship type feeling when you call us on the phone as well. We don’t have a menu system. We have a live person answering that phone because we believe that is the start or the establishment of that relationship. What does it feel like for a customer to call us? With our customers, we often ask for their feedback. Based on their experience of doing business with us, how can we assist in a better way? Are we doing things that you feel are appropriate? Is our service model what you expect? And if it isn’t, please share with us how we can do better, give and take in that relationship.

And yet, very rarely am I ever asked my opinion in a transactional business.I might get a survey if I’m willing to take the time and spend the time to do it. But even then, are the answers to a survey question the same as answering someone live? I don’t think so. So ask yourself, are you a transactional business or a relationship business? And if it’s a transaction, how can you make that business feel a little more personal? If it’s relationship, does it feel relaxed? In a relationship, are you communicating and listening to feedback from your customers?

Both models are great, and both models a customer ends up hopefully getting what they want, but one has a much different feeling than the other.

Are you relationship business or transactional business.