Stand out - an alien in East London
My old man worked in a barber shop for 40 years in East London, and become known locally with his shop called "Five Fingers". He was the best man, and a godfather to a CID officer's daughter, all customers of his. All sorts of other requests, gifts and a tone of love. When dad passed away, customers would send their condolences and some even pay their last respect at his funeral.
The name of his shop was also the name of a mountain range in Cyprus where he grew up playing just before coming to the UK at 15 to start his barbershop business - Five Fingers.
Dad's brand fascinated me, which may have led me to think of becoming a designer. I never did get to design for dad. But I did learn about customer service.
He was a barber that listened to his customers. And if you had a personal issue you wanted to speak about, he'll pause snipping your hair, rest his hands on your shoulder to listen to what you had to say and then respond with something so basic, so raw and real that you forget you had any issue at all. You could almost forgive what an immigrant sounds like after learning how dad had been torn away from his country and learned English from The Sun newspaper and speaking to customers like you.?
That's also the first sign for me to always focus on listening to the customer not what the funny papers say. At 9 I did learn it's all about the customer and today that's all I think about. Communication is so vital in every business even when there's a language barrier. Anything is possible you just need to understand the customer's basic instinct. And if you listen hard enough it sounds raw, compassionate and behind a steady blade, vulnerable but trusting.?
What scares me the most isn't if I can do my best work, I've long overcome my selfish pride in I-know-what's-best-for-your-business. I focus on will my customers like this? If it doesn't interest their customer then those I like to work with, may look away.
Most forget the basic fact that a brand is associated with what the customer gets.?Not just says about you.
When people talk about their brand, online, it's a different idea from meeting a real person with a brand for the first time in real life.?
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Meaning there are real people behind most independent businesses that have families and mouths to feed just like most.
Yet, sadly today's world of "brand" is short-term services and dumb-down marketing for a quick return. Its proof making money or the idea to make money however possible is more important than the customer or the customer customers. I can't and won't compete with that.?
Like, dad, I have for a long time focused on the customer and the customer customers.
What's in it for me is not always translated as what's in it for your customers. Hence why it takes a lot of work to define a brand. It needs not a salesperson or a marketing tactic approach for short-term gains.?
What the customers gained from dad's services wasn't ever just a quick short back and sides. And boy was dad a fast snipper. A brand is, was and always will be about how to get them to come back to you, did the work, work for you and your customers, and has it helped develop meaningful and trusted relationships with the target market.
That's partly what makes a business a brand and the persons in it. The real value of any brand is in the customer's perception, the tash was always for show.