What’s the No. 1 demand your customers ask of you? According to a recent survey, it doesn’t have anything to do with price, quality, features or benefits.

Nine out of 10 of respondents who were asked what they wanted most from a supplier listed “being there when needed” as their No. 1 requirement.

What this translates into is “You don’t have to be the quickest, you don’t have to be the cheapest, you don’t have to be the smartest. If you’re there when your customers need you, you’ll get the business.

It might be a good idea to develop a simple philosophy: “You’re my customer and I’m here for you. Here’s my cell phone number. Here’s my pager number. Here’s a 24-hour toll-free number. Here’s our web address so you can get information even when I’m sleeping.”

How about that? How about having a philosophy that I’m here for you and living that every business day?

How about making sure your customers know how to get a hold of you, making sure they know who else is on your team, and where they should turn when they have questions or problems or complaints.

So let them know by saying “Thank you. Thank you for being my customer. Thank you for buying my product or service.”

Adapted from the book Cashing In On Success by John Tschohl, President of Service Quality Institute, a multinational firm specializing in quality service.

Tags: being there when needed, customer demand, No. 1 requirement, survey