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I couldn?t have asked for a better night. I got to share dinner with a great friend and talented photographer, Barbie Hull, AND eat at one of my favorite restaurants: A Taste of India.

Dining there is an unforgettable experience. I?ll start with the building itself. It?s located in a yellow and white house on the corner of a busy, one-way thoroughfare. But once you step inside, you?re greeted by colorful, mirrored tapestries on the walls, delicious smells drifting from the kitchen and the soothing sound of Indian music. If there?s any sort of line, which there often is at this popular place, you?re given a free cup of the most incredible chai tea you have ever tasted.

A taste of India is a family business run by Mohammed Arfan Bhatti and his father. Together, they have more than 30 years in the restaurant industry, and it shows through every aspect of the business. This starts with? impeccable customer service. An abundant number of staff members go above and beyond to anticipate your every dining need. And then there?s the food. From rich curries and creamy masalas, to moist, red-orange tandoori chicken and huge, warm ovals of nan bread overflowing the edges of their baskets, there?s something delectable for everyone.

Mohammed is an attentive owner, and on the nights he?s managing the restaurant, he?s not hiding behind the front counter; he?s walking the floor. He is quick to have his staff deliver a free appetizer if the meal is running a few minutes late or set up a table for a last-minute, large dinner party.

A Taste of India is a perfect example of a business successfully working through every step of the Customer Life Cycle:

1. Know: This is the first phase and all about how a potential customer (I?ll call her Diana) finds out about you. In the case of a restaurant, they might drive past your location and see your business name on an awning. Or come across your business name and description on a listing through an online listing.?? Or see your ad in the local newspaper. Or come across your website. Or a friend mentions your restaurant. These are all ways a future customer becomes aware of your business.

2. Like: If that first impression was good, Diana now starts to form a positive impression of your business. She might have come across a great review of your restaurant in a local magazine or her friend?s description is extremely positive.

3. Trust: If Diana likes your business, she?s more apt to keep moving forward through the cycle and start to trust your brand. She may have read reviews on credible sites like Yelp, CitySearch and Dex or through a mobile app like UrbanSpoon.She may drive by a few more times and see a line of customer out the door. These are all things that establish a level of confidence in the business.

4. Try: Finally, Diana is ready to try a new dining adventure. She goes to to the restaurant?and gets a first-hand taste of the food and customer service. She might even get a free sample of one of Mohammad?s appetizers or a mini cup of chai.

5. Buy: She interacts with the wait staff and is presented with the menu so she can review her options and make a selection. She orders her meal and when the bill comes, she signs on the dotted line and pays for the overall experience of dining out.

6. Repeat: If the entire experience satisfied her or even better ? exceeded her expectations ? she will be wiling to eat there again. And again. And again.

7. Refer: And here is first prize when it comes to creating customer relationships: word of mouth marketing. If Diana starts to tell all of her friends about how great the restaurant is, takes time to write her own positive review online, suggests to her boss that the team lunch be held at A Taste of India, Mohammad has done his job.

I teach a Strategic Commutations class at Seattle University and recently spoke with my students about the importance of understanding this relationship cycle before you start marketing and promoting your business to customers. I?ve asked my students to provide comments, below, and share one real-world case study or example they?ve found online to demonstrate an organization getting results from successfully engaging in this cycle.

-Whitney Keyes

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebizbite/2012/10/13/7-steps-to-customer-love-loyalty/

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