What relationship are you developing with your customers?

Part of the I VIEW THE TOP philosophy is creating a vision that puts customer success first and developing a brand that is about delivering on that vision.  There is a power in this approach in the relationship you develop with the customer. When you take this approach, you are not saying a specific product or service you offer for a specific need of the customer is going to enable the success of your customer. Instead the approach says that developing a relationship with me, with my organization, with my company, is what will ultimately will deliver success.

All of your company's actions and products are part of the relationship.  It is like marriage, parenting, or friendships, just because you do a certain task for someone does not mean you are married, or a parent, or a friend.  Yes, you do those actions as part of the relationship, but it is the promise that you will be there on an ongoing basis, beyond a specific task that creates the relationship.

The relationship is what creates loyalty, and with it the faith that you will overcome troubles when they arise and the expectation that you will want to be together during happy times.  This relationship allows you to do more for each other than just a specific task or transaction.

To get back to the analogy of friendship. It is easy to find someone who will feed your cat, but harder to find someone who will be there when your car breaks down on a cold night or when you're upset. It's true on the flipside as well, a friend is someone you think to include about when you want to celebrate. Is that the relationship you're developing with your customers? A relationship where when they know if they have a problem you can help resolve it or when they want to buy something they come to you first? That is a relationship. 

How many companies do you deal with care if you are alive or dead other than the dollars you spend?  You might think that expectation, that a company or its employees would really care, is too much.  I don't think so.  

Question
What relationship are you developing with your customers?