Years ago while in college and working at a local bar I got some good advice from the bar’s proprietor. He said, “Son, whatever you do take good care of the regulars. If you take care of them, they will take care of you. They will be your best tippers, and if they are happy with your service they will bring their friends with them next time and refer others to your place.”
This advice has served me very well in the business world. I frequently try to go out of my way to assist my clients with whatever they need. When they call, they are always priority #1. True to the bar owner’s wisdom, when I take good care of my clients they often refer me to friends and business partners. I read once that in business, 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your clients. If that is indeed true then it shows why it is so important to take care of the “regulars.”
Below I’ve included part of one of my favorite songs, Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” He wrote it while working as a lounge player at a piano bar in Los Angeles after his first album failed to find an audience. Billy Joel was a legitimate musician, and he had played much larger and more important gigs than a piano bar. But he treated the regulars right, taking the time to get to know them. And, as he recounts in this famous song, they treated him right in return.
“Piano Man” by Billy Joel
It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday
the regular crowd shuffles in
There’s an old man sitting next to me
Makin’ love to his tonic and gin
He say, Son can you play me a memory
I’m not really sure how it goes
But it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man’s clothes
[Chorus]
Da da da de de da
da da de de da da da
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
sing us a song tonight
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he’s quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there’s someplace that he’d rather be
He says Bill, I believe this is killing me
As the smile ran away from his face
Well I’m sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight.
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright.
It’s a pretty good crowd for a Saturday,
And the manager gives me a smile
‘Cause he knows that it’s me they’ve been coming to see
To forget about life for awhile.
And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say “Man, what are you doin’ here?”
Have a great weekend,
Ro
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