Thank you for saving my company, she wrote.

It was during lockdown when almost all economies were shut. Hostalite tried to reach out to clients to find out how they were doing and how we could help, to be part of their journey.

Theere was this client who never responded when relationship managers sent her emails reminding her of the payment.

She manages a tour and travel company. Of course you know there was no business for tour and travel companies.

Even when the billing system sent her an invoice for clearing, she kept quiet for a long time.

Because I knew the economy was bad especially the tour and travel industry had been hit so hard, I reached out to her.

This ties into the notion of ‘Know Your Customer’. Who is your customer; customer discovery. What are they going through?

Through that I was able to reach out to her. I asked her, “Yes, I know you’ve been receiving invoices and you have not responded to any of our invoices. I would like to know how we can be of help. I have decided to call you because you’ve been with us for four years, paying promptly. Now, I know there’s a gap. I just want to know, how can we help as a company?”

She said, “You know what, Dickson? I’m sorry but by the look of things, I’m going to close this company. Covid has shut us down. I’m going to close this company.”

I felt so bad.

She told me, “Even my sons are telling me to just hang in there, to hold on, not to close it. I told them: I cannot spend any more money on a company where I see no future especially in tourism.”

I quickly figured that maybe she needed someone to give her a word of encouragement.

This is what I told her: There are seasons in life. Yes, I know you owe us some money but this is just a season and you cannot choose to close a company just because there was as season. No, please. I’m requesting you: Please, just don’t close this company because what’s going to happen when the season normalises?

For now you can pivot. You can model it to do other things but don’t close your website. I know you owe us money and I see your domain name is about to go into redemption where you can lose it.

I’m just going to renew it for you and to also renew hosting for you for the next one year. and you will pay whenever you get the money. Let the bills from Hostalite not bother you anymore. Just focus on growing, or pivoting or looking on how you can survive and just hang in there up to a time when it will now make sense.

She said: Wow, Dickson, thank you so much. I hadn’t looked at it that way and I didn’t even know that you give us this concession. I want to thank you. Let me hang in there. Please renew. I promise when the system normalises I will look for your money and I will pay you.

I renewed her domain name and hosting and its now been running for close to 7 months.

Yesterday she sent me a message. She said: Dickson we’ve started recovering now and I have some money. I am going to pay you in three instalments. I know paying is my obligation but I would like to thank you for saving my business. I was going to close this business and I don’t know what I was going to do next.

My sons, were complaining, they were telling me to hang in there. But, I had made up my mind already to close this company.

You literally begged me not to- you basically saved my company. Thank you for doing one extra thing to find out what I was going through. We haven’t stabilised yet but at least I’m going to pay in three instalments and I have just paid the first instalment.

What do I learn from this? .

1.Seasons.

Clients go through seasons we miss an opportunityto serve or give back if we don't take an extra step to find out how they are doing.

And its very possible that that client can bring us more business after the season.

Let not the season make you lose your long serving client. It’s just a season. Hang in there with them especially in these Covid times. Hang in there, don’t switch them off.

2. Ask.

As a client, ask for concessions from your provider, request for favourable payment terms and remember you lose nothing by asking

3.Dont let your clients "die" because of a temporary season.

Somehow make sure you find ways of helping your client to stay afloat or alive so that you all celebrate the benefits of the after Covid recovery.

Thank you so much. And remember,

Clients' lives matter.

I remain yours truly,

Dickson Mushabe

#HeadMasterDM