How Customized Service Develops Relationships

Patrick McFadden

The goal of every business is to attract, obtain, and KEEP profitable customers or clients. When you think about keeping anything (car, money, last nights dinner, etc.) it requires a proactive effort on your part.  For cars it’s keeping the oil changed, for money it’s keeping it in a savings account, and for your last nights dinner it’s properly packaging and cooling it.

If you want to keep profitable customers or clients you will need a Thank You Department. There’s only one purpose for this department: proactive retention. They look at service improvements, process enhancements, and quality initiatives that encourage customer loyalty primarily by removing the causes of disengagement in the first place.

Their job is to develop different loyalty programs, along with customized service. For example: if a customer engages with you and clearly identifies how they want to be treated, you can effectively “loyalize” the customer by remembering that personal information and providing a customized experience in the future. In effect, by telling you what he or she wants, the customer is also investing in the relationship. Even if your direct competitor offers the same kind of customized service, the customer would first have to re-invest into the relationship by telling the competitor what he or she needs in order to enjoy the same level of customized service.

This is sometimes called the lock-in effect.

Question: What do you think about building relationships though customized service?

By Patrick McFadden March 31, 2025
1. The Challenge: VMI was like many service providers — positioning their value around what they thought clients wanted : “Office furniture installation and assembly — let us handle creating your perfect workspace.” But the actual buyers — facility managers, project managers, furniture reps — weren’t looking for “perfect workspaces.” They were trying to avoid installation nightmares . Their real priority? ✅ Great installation days. ✅ No chaos. ✅ No missed deadlines. ✅ No angry phone calls from clients. 2. The Insight: After conducting stakeholder interviews under our marketing strategy consulting engagement , the Indispensable Marketing team uncovered critical feedback: “We need installers who maintain a professional site and follow instructions.” “We lose relationships when installations go badly.” “I need quotes back quickly or I can’t sell the job.” This wasn’t just about services , it was about trust, problem-solving , and professional reliability . So we reframed their differentiators not by what they did, but how they showed up : Same-day project quotes Problem-solving on-site Update protocol with clients Professionalism guarantee Lasting Impression Insurance 3. The Shift: We shifted the positioning from vague benefits to real-world, emotional triggers : Instead of: “Let us create your perfect workspace.” Now: “Get the perfect installation day, every time.” That subtle shift aligns with who’s actually buying (and who feels the pain when things go wrong). The end-user may care about the workspace. But the buyer cares about the install . 4. The Lesson for Others: If you’re selling a service, don’t describe what you do. Describe what the client wants to avoid or achieve — and who the real buyer is. Then, systematize what you’re already doing well and give it a name. Just like our team did with: “Same Day Quotes” “Lasting Impression Insurance” “Reliable Presence Protocol” 5. The Outcome Within weeks of updating their messaging and positioning: The company reported more qualified leads asking the right questions Furniture reps began referring them because they were “easy to work with and made them look good” They were shortlisted for larger, multi-phase projects due to increased confidence in their process But most importantly, they stopped competing on price — because they weren’t selling perfect workspaces anymore. They were selling peace of mind on installation day.
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