NFIB

Cards Help Company Connect
04/ 15/ 2002

by Michael Shaheen

In this age of low long-distance telephone rates and in-a-flash e-mail, it seems the handwritten letter has gone the way of the rotary phone.

Yet at Chimayo to Go, owners Mary and Terry Cordes know the importance of developing strong, positive relationships with customers. For three years, these sellers of authentic New Mexican products have sent personalized, handwritten thank you notes to all customers of their Passion Peach Salsa, powerful chile powders and blue corn pancake mix.

"We realized that the only way we were going to make it in the business world was to go out of our way to please our current customers, and let them market for us," explains Terry.

"We don't have the money to launch a giant advertising campaign; word of mouth has always been our best marketing tool."

The thank you notes are a way Chimayo, which sells its products by mail order catalog and online at www.chimayotogo.com, sets itself apart from larger competitors.

"That was definitely my wife's idea," Terry says of the notes. "She sits down and writes a letter for every order that we receive. It's her philosophy that really drives our business. She makes it a point to ensure that every customer not only enjoys what they purchase, but also feels good about the entire buying process."

Terry concludes, "It's not a matter of the bottom line, or earning that extra dollar. Although pleasing our customers certainly helps our business succeed, it also makes our experience much more pleasurable."

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This article originally appeared in the February/March 2002 issue of MyBUSINESS Magazine.

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