How One Tiny Hardware Store Turned Me Into a Customer for Life (and How You Can Too) | 665

The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast with Tim Reid

Keen to turn your precious customers in to customers for life? In this solo episode of Small Business Big Marketing, I turn my week of errands into a marketing masterclass. I’ve just had a haircut, visited the shrink, and—clumsy me—snapped two pairs of prescription glasses. While ticking off my to-do list, I couldn’t switch off my marketing brain. So I’m sharing the good, the bad, and the brilliant customer moments I experienced, all to help you build your beautiful business in to the empire it deserves.

The star of the week?

My local Mitre 10, five minutes from home. I accidentally broke a leg off Sarah’s painting easel and walked in hoping only to buy glue. The team greeted me like I’d just stepped into a Japanese restaurant—big smiles, instant help. They checked the break, said glue would work, then spotted only a giant bottle on the shelf. I shrugged, said I’d take it, and asked them to hold the wood while I shopped. When I returned to pay, the leg was fixed—glued, nailed, clamped, perfect. No charge. “All part of the service, mate.” I left with a repaired easel, I gave them a Google review, and a new lifelong habit: this is my hardware store. The formula? High perceived value at low cost to me. A mechanic could wash wheels after a service. An electrician could swap a lightbulb for free. Tiny moves, massive loyalty.

Next, I dive into customer emotions—the heartbeat of every great ad brief. I ask myself: How does my customer feel right now? Accountants meet confused clients drowning in tax forms. Travel agents greet excited holiday planners. Leak detectors calm worried homeowners. Baristas serve stressed, rushed caffeine addicts. I name the feeling, speak to it in headlines and scripts, and watch connection explode. My advice? Ask your customers directly. Let their answers shape your messaging, service, and even who you hire.

Then there’s problem-solving. I shattered two pairs of glasses in one week—hello, panic. My optometrist quoted a flat two weeks, zero empathy. I suggested buying a new frame and popping in the old lenses. Boom—$209 later, I walked out seeing clearly. The lesson? Challenge “that’s how it’s always done.” I give my team permission to think laterally, like a Formula One pit crew. I love “killer questions”: What would [insert your problem-solving hero] do? (Check episode 75 with HP’s Phil McKinney on Killer Questions for more.)

Finally, I need your help. My favourite barber serves great cuts, free beer, and lively chat—but the queue is brutal. I walk in, see 10 blokes waiting, and half the time I walk out. No bookings, no numbers—the owner says people vanish if he tries. I say: look through your customer’s eyes. Acknowledge the wait. Serve the person in front of you, not the line.

Hit the hotline [phone]) or the Facebook Tribe and tell me your fix. That’s my week in marketing lessons. If you love this raw, real-life format, let me know—call, text, or jump into the Tribe. And please subscribe and share; every listen helps us both build something beautiful.

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