est I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received ourEvery customer you have is a word-of-mouth advertiser for you. Unfortunately 90% of this free advertising is negative. Your goal is to get positive-word-of-mouth advertisers.

Think about it, how do you decide where to shop? Your chief consideration may be location or price, but service is a silent draw that cannot be overlooked.

Years ago we went to a get our oil changed at the Citgo station at Rochester and Hamlin in Rochester Hills. The owner was in tough competition with the established shop across Rochester Road. We were first in line and the shop really did achieve their time goal as we were pulling in the bay in just over 5 minutes. To our surprise the owner came to the window and offered us free pop because of the “long wait” on a hot day. He also offered lollipops to our children after getting our permission. It is now ten years later and every oil change on both cars have been done at his shop. What was his cost? Two cans of pop and two lollipops. To be honest I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received our

deration may be location or price, but service is a silent draw that cannot be overlooked.

Years ago we went to a get our oil changed at the Citgo station at Rochester and Hamlin in Rochester Hills. The owner was in tough competition with the established shop across Rochester Road. We were first in line and the shop really did achieve their time goal as we were pulling in the bay in just over 5 minutes. To our surprise the owner came to the window and offered us free pop because of the “long wait” on a hot day. He also offered lollipops to our children after getting our permission. It is now ten years later and every oil change on both cars have been done at his shop. What was his cost? Two cans of pop and two lollipops. To be honest I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received our

tablished shop across Rochester Road. We were first in line and the shop really did achieve their time goal as we were pulling in the bay in just over 5 minutes. To our surprise the owner came to the window and offered us free pop because of the “long wait” on a hot day. He also offered lollipops to our children after getting our permission. It is now ten years later and every oil change on both cars have been done at his shop. What was his cost? Two cans of pop and two lollipops. To be honest I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received ourong wait” on a hot day. He also offered lollipops to our children after getting our permission. It is now ten years later and every oil change on both cars have been done at his shop. What was his cost? Two cans of pop and two lollipops. To be honest I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received ourest I cannot tell you how his price compares to the shop across the street, but I don’t care. Anyone that takes care of the customer like he did on our first visit has integrity and places customer service as a top goal. Not only has he received our total business, we also told this story a hundred of times to friends and at conferences.

Word-of-mouth is a very powerful advertising tool. With competition as intense as it is today people are looking for ways to determine at which of the many resources available to spend their money.

The emphasis on word-of-mouth advertising is getting a lot of attention at colleges in and near Allentown, Pennsylvania. College freshmen can now go to several Internet sites to determine into which professors class they should strive. The sites list comments about the professors posted by former students. Although the colleges say the sites do not agree with the evaluations they are receiving at the end of the classes, the sites have increasing in the number of web hits they receive. According to Christina Gostomski of the Allentown Morning Call (May 16), students like the sites because they want to make sure they aren’t wasting tuition dollars.

Word-of-mouth advertising is also recogn