Carl Sewell and the Art of Keeping Customers for Life

Years ago, I read a book that changed the way I thought about customer service.

It was Customers for Life by Carl Sewell.

If you're from Dallas, you probably recognize the Sewell name. The family's automobile dealerships have built a reputation around customer service, and Carl Sewell helped make that philosophy famous.

Now, I've always loved cars. And here's a little bit of trivia: back in 2000, I bought an Escalade that had belonged to Carl's wife, Peggy.

How's that for a connection? HA HA!

But my admiration for Carl Sewell has much more to do with his approach to business than the Cadillac sitting in my driveway all those years ago. Ironically, he also looked to Stanley Marcus as a mentor. 

A Customer Isn't Just a Transaction

The idea behind Customers for Life is pretty straightforward.

Instead of concentrating entirely on making the next sale, concentrate on building a relationship that makes people want to come back.

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Apparently, it's not.

We've all experienced businesses that seem absolutely delighted to take our money and considerably less enthusiastic when we need help afterward.

Carl Sewell understood that the sale was only the beginning.

He built a business around the idea that taking care of customers, paying attention to what they need, and making things right when something goes wrong could create relationships lasting years.

That's a philosophy I've always appreciated.

What This Has to Do With Shopify

Quite a bit, actually.

I've been in ecommerce since the 1990s, and I've watched the technology change more times than I can count.

But one thing hasn't changed: people want to do business with companies they trust.

You can spend thousands of dollars on a Shopify store. You can install apps, build elaborate email automations, and run advertising campaigns until the cows come home.

But if customers have a lousy experience, they're probably not coming back.

And if you're constantly chasing new customers while ignoring the ones you already have, you're making life a whole lot harder than it needs to be.

I see this with small businesses all the time.

They're so busy thinking about how to attract more traffic that they sometimes overlook the customers who have already placed an order.

Those people matter.

A handwritten thank-you note, a quick response to an email, a thoughtful solution when something goes wrong — these aren't complicated ideas.

But they make an impression.

The Customer Service Philosophy I Try to Follow

I've always preferred working directly with my clients.

When someone hires Hippie Chick Design Studio, they're working with me. I'm the person answering questions, making recommendations, and helping them figure out what makes sense for their business.

Sometimes that means telling a client they don't need something.

Sometimes it means recommending a less expensive solution.

And occasionally it means explaining why an idea that sounds wonderful on paper might be a complete headache in practice.

Could I make more money by recommending every possible app, feature, and service?

Probably.

But that's not how I want to run my business.

I want clients to feel comfortable coming back with questions. I want them to know I'll give them a straightforward answer, even when that answer doesn't result in another invoice.

And I want them to feel confident running their stores after our work together is finished.

That's my version of customers for life.

It's Still About People

I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make in ecommerce is forgetting that there's a human being on the other side of the screen.

We spend so much time talking about traffic, analytics, abandoned carts, and conversion rates that customers start sounding like numbers.

They're not.

They're people spending their hard-earned money.

And if we're lucky enough to earn their business, we ought to appreciate it.

Carl Sewell understood that long before anyone was talking about Shopify, email flows, or online customer acquisition.

His book was first published in 1990, and I still think its central message is as relevant today as it was then.

Treat people well. Keep your promises. Make it easy to do business with you. And give customers a reason to come back.

Not particularly glamorous advice, is it?

But it works.

And sometimes the best business lessons aren't the newest ones.