We had a relationship until the check cleared

A $3,000+ lesson in customer care

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, I visited my local, independently-owned nursery for a meeting to design a new layout for my front yard. The nursery offers complementary sessions with their professional landscapers to help create your dream space. Once we had the design drawn up on paper, we walked around the nursery picking everything out. The whole process took about an hour—and it was so much fun!

I spent $3,000+ that day on new landscaping and the entire installation.*

A few weeks later their crew arrived, trailers overflowing with pretty plants and trees. They spent the morning transforming my yard, and I spent the morning watching from my kitchen window.

Then...

Crickets. Well, two kinds: the crickets who were enjoying my new greenery, but also those from the nursery. My professional planner? The nursery owner? The crew?

There has been ZERO follow-up.

NOTHING.

How many opportunities did they miss?

Oh, let me count the ways:

1. How does the layout look?

2. Remember the xx plant we said would smell wonderful - doesn't it?!

3. Any plants showing signs of distress?

4. Any areas we missed or need adjustments? (It's a safe assumption that because I spent $3,000+, if an area needs one or two more bushes, I will go for it)

5. Send photos of the finished space!

6. Fall is on its way - here's how to care for these plants over the next two seasons

7. And I could go on ... and on ...

As a consumer I'm bent because I spent so much of my hard earned money on a project that was clearly something I was super excited about. I truly feel like they do not care. I was just a sale, and they moved on to the next install.

As a marketer I'm bent because they are missing so many HUGE opportunities to be a long-term landscaping partner. They could so easily sell me more! And not just to me—I can sell the nursery to my neighbors and friends. So many people are seeing my new landscaping and making lovely comments. Why wouldn't I tell people all about them?

So to those neighbors and friends who are asking about the nursery and the experience, this is what I tell them: It was great, until...

This same principle applies across all service businesses, especially creative ones like your studio.

What is your line

Whether a repeat customer (sales totaled over a year) or large group, what dollar amount do you think deserves a definitive thank you, acknowledgement of appreciation and ongoing conversations?

$350?

$500?

$750?

$1,000?

The creative business advantage

You have a unique opportunity: you're selling an ongoing journey, not just a product. Your best customers aren't just buying classes—they're investing in skill development, creative fulfillment, community connection, and themselves.

But this only works when you nurture the relationship beyond the transaction. Your regular customers should feel like they're progressing, not just repeating. They should feel seen for their individual artistic development, not treated as interchangeable transactions.

Who are your highest-value customers? They likely:

• Take multiple classes or workshops

• Purchase additional studio time

• Buy supplies and finished pieces

• Bring friends and family

• Attend special events and sales

• Buy gift cards

• Visit often - and sometimes just to say hi

These customers deserve:

• Personalized progress conversations

• Early access to new classes or techniques

• Invitations to exclusive events or advanced sessions

• Recognition for their commitment and growth

• Problem-solving support when things don't go as planned

The ripple effect

Your most invested customers become your most effective marketers—but only if they feel truly cared for. When someone asks your best customers about their pottery journey, they don't just recommend the studio's classes. They tell them about Sarah, who remembers exactly where they were struggling with glazing, and Marcus, who saved photos of their first visit to compare how far they've come.

That's the difference between a transaction and a relationship. And relationships are what turn $200 class fees into years of loyal customers who bring their whole social circle with them.

When you ignore your big spenders after they pay, you're not just missing future sales—you're turning your best potential advocates into cautionary tales they'll share with everyone who admires their purchase.

*Yes, there was literally a check; I put 20% down on my credit card at the nursery and then after the install they emailed me a bill, asking me to send them a check for the balance.