by Russel Lolacher, The Upsell

A good relationship is a good relationship. Whether it’s in your personal life or at work, the same advice around empathy, trust, compassion and effort all apply. Especially in the customer relationship.

Look at your strongest and most long-standing friendships. What makes them work? How do you know they’re strong? How do you contribute to their success? I’m sure your answers will have a few similarities to the quotes I’ve compiled below around a customer relationship.

“Relationships are the only thing that matters in business and in life.” – Jerry Weintraub

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”– Dale Carnegie

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.”– Tony Robbins

“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot

“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” – Henry Winkler

“We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.” — Joyce Meyer

“Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of human beings.”– Miles Franklin

“Little kindness and courtesies are so important. In relationships, the little things are the big things.”  – Stephen R. Covey

“The fundamental glue that holds any relationship together is trust.” – Brian Tracy

“I think a relationship is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies.” – Woody Allen

“Saying hello doesn’t have an ROI. It’s about building relationships.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

“What we really need is a mindset shift that will make us relevant to today’s consumers, a mindset shift from telling to selling to building relationships.” – Jim Stengel

“Integrity is important in building relationships. And is the foundation upon which many other qualities for success are built, such as respect, dignity and trust.” – John C. Maxwell

“The best feeling in the world is knowing you mean something to someone.” – Anonymous

“I have come to realize that customers love companies that make them feel good about themselves—companies that reflect what they, the customers, believe about themselves. Customers fall in love with the company that says to them, ‘You are unique. You are great. We are the only ones who can make you feel that way. Fall in love with us and we will continue to make you feel great.’” – J.N. Halm

“In a world of technology and accidental narcissism, humanity, powered by empathy, becomes the killer app.” – Brian Solis

“You can’t outsource relationship building.” – Scott Stratten

“Do what you did at the beginning of a relationship and there won’t be an end.” – Tony Robbins

“If you respect the customer as a human being, and truly honour their right to be treated fairly and honestly, everything else is much easier.” – Doug Smith

“Without communication, there is no relationship. Without respect, there is no love. Without trust, there is no reason to continue.” – Unknown

“Compromise, communication and consistency are need in all relationships, not just romantic ones.” – Alex Elle

Can you think of any other relationship quotes that would as easily pertain to a customer relationship and employees as they would to marriage, romance or friendship?