It’s a funny concept to talk about a company managing a relationship with a customer. It is not like we have a human connection with one another as the term “relationship” would imply. We don’t text each other silly messages and make plans for the weekend, but I would argue that the relationship between a company and a customer shares many of the same qualities of a human relationship - and is no less complicated to manage. Think of the company as the suitor and the customer as the eligible bachelorette.

The fairy tale begins: Most of the time, the company pursues us in some way (through acquisition efforts, SEM, ads and marketing, rather than buying us a drink at the local bar); Other times, we meet through friends and mutual acquaintances (via referrals rather than blind dates); Inevitably, the company spends an awful lot of time and money trying to get to know us (through surveys and profiling rather than flowers and chocolate); when we lose interest, the company sends us treats and incentives to encourage us to stay engaged (loyalty programs and promotions rather than expensive jewelry); if we leave, the company (should) do everything they can to get us back (lapsed/lost programs); In the end, if we like said company, we tell our friends; if we hate said company…we also tell our friends. Either way, the reputation of the company rests in our hands – just like in a human relationship. And now, with social networking, all of this can happen even quicker, which is great for companies who have healthy relationships but very bad for companies who do not.

That is why managing the customer relationship is so critical to the success of a business. The company many believe that they have what the client wants, but if they don’t treat them the right way, it’s a moot point. As an example, a few months back, my friend and I walked into a designer shoe store fully intending to spend our bonuses on a pair of shoes (name not to be revealed, but think red soles). We were ready to seal the deal. We were walking down the aisle with this company. We loved them (irrationally so). BUT, we got into the store and were treated miserably by the sales associate. The relationship ended. No shoes were purchased that day. They managed the relationship well up to that point, but it broke down at the most important moment, and for a customer relationship to be successful, the management process must be consistent and unyielding.

What I can say is that there is no one right way to manage customer relationships, however, if a company applies the same guiding principles to their customer relationships that they would to their human relationships and remembers to pay attention (track activities or lack thereof), react appropriately to different behaviors (lifecycle marketing) and do everything they can to keep their customers happy (relevant communications, loyalty programs, incentives), they will be much closer to “happily ever after”.

So, how do companies find their soul mates? That topic is for the second date…