OK – I have a confession to make. I HATE going to the dentist. Now I KNOW everyone says that. However, as a kid – I had a small mouth and a dentist with a hand the size of a turkey platter. I’ve had dentists start drilling when the freezing wasn’t complete. I’ve had to leave the dentist’s office during an emergency evacuation (they thought there was a fire)…while I was medicated, with no elevator and 10 flights of stairs to stagger down. And the last root canal left me with 20 cold sores (I ended up being allergic to their gloves!) I told the dental hygienist that “I’d rather have a Pap test than get my teeth cleaned.” Yes – I HATED going to the dentist. Until today. (Wait for the rest of the story in suspense will ya?)
What Is A Grudge Product/Service?
It’s simple really. A grudge product/service is when you HAVE to spend money on something that you really would rather NOT HAVE TO spend money on. In fact… if you had it your way – you’d never spend a CENT on a grudge product or service again.
For example:
o Dentists, doctors, bankers, insurance people
o Realtors, plastic surgeons, a new furnace
o Funeral services, dating services, plumbers and cable
o Mortgages, utility bills, oil changes, groceries
o Nylons, fuel, your daughter’s piano lessons
o Car maintenance, bras, wrinkle cream
o Sales training, marketing supplies, a website
o And oh my – the list is endless!
Why is the list endless? Because for each of us – a GRUDGE product or service will be different. My sister loves grocery shopping but she hates shoe shopping. I’d rather eat the shoe than grocery shop. My girlfriend loves buying wood from Home Depot. The only wood I buy is in my nail file. My boyfriend loves getting his teeth cleaned and well…I already told you what I’d rather do!
Are YOU A Grudge To Your Customer?
There actually aren’t too many products out there that don’t fall into the Grudge category. You may love manicures but your best friend may resent the time it takes. A true NON – GRUDGE experience is when people love, love, love buying from you all of the time. But remember – when you’re a GRUDGE you’re going to have WORK HARDER to make the experience of BUYING YOU less painful and more satisfying.
I Have A Dentist Who Understands He’s A Grudge! So Frank (my new dentist) looks at my file, looks at me and says… “Let me guess – you hate dentists right?”
I really couldn’t respond as all the saliva in my mouth had left from the FEAR OF THE DRILL. (Truly – I couldn’t have whistled or swallowed a cracker for all the shoes in the world!) Then he said this…”I totally understand. I hate them too. My last dentist was a total jerk.” And then he gave me a ton of options, explained everything to me in detail, didn’t make me feel guilty and he was super funny. What sealed the deal? “If you want Kim- have a glass of wine before you show up – just get someone else to drive!” He just became my favorite grudge.
So there.
