Over lunch Greg and I were watching a new waiter be trained in how to best serve diner clients. The Mentor was giving constant feedback to the Trainee. At one point the Trainee had just walked past a table when the Mentor asked if the customers at the table needed more water. The trainee responded: “They haven’t ask for more water.”
The Mentor did his best to contain himself and very succinctly stated, “If the customer has to be the one to ask, you just lost them.” He explained that customers do not want to beg for service, they just expect it and are willing to reward it. Without this service, which the Mentor described as “reading their minds,” the customer will not be coming back.
Lesson: If your clients have to ask you for AFAs, you have already lost them. Or at a minimum you may be well down the road to losing them.