Romance to Break-Up

It’s been suggested that you learn more about someone at the end of a relationship than at the beginning.   This is because when forming relationships, people tend to act in a manner that accommodates the perceived preferences of the other party.  In time, they stop acting and settle into their normal patterns of behavior.  And at the end, they are often at their worst because they no longer care about making a favorable impression.

Commercial relationships follow much the same pattern: companies put on their best face to appeal to prospects and convert them into first-time buyers.   Once a purchase is made, the company settles into “business as usual” and expects the customer to attend to their needs and preferences.  And when a customer calls to cancel service, things get ugly.  

It would be pessimistic to say that this is their “true” character, as character considers behavior as a whole rather than in specific situations – but it is certainly fair to say that it is their natural behavior, in that it reflects the way they are inclined to act when there is not an external motivator (profit).

This pattern is evident even in organizations that are applauded for their customer relations.   They are very accommodating when attempting to win business, indifferent once the contract is signed, and very difficult to work with when a customer wishes to end the relationship.  

And while it is fair to state that businesses should be motivated by profit, as profit is often the sole reason for the formation of a commercial organization (though ideally it should be regarded as a by product of successful operations rather than the primary motive), it remains entirely short-sighted: it is the difference between a former customer who might return in future, and one who certainly never will – hence it is in the financial interest of a firm to maintain its values in every interaction, even interactions that are financially unfavorable.