BFF

There is no way anyone would confuse me with a cutting edge texter, but some of the more common abbreviations have made it down to my level. So BFF, or Best Friend Forever, is not completely foreign to me. What is foreign, however, is how the idea of best friends forever has permeated the world of commerce and how it has affected our buying decisions.

God only knows how hard it is to maintain any friendship “forever”, but those we do business with like to play on this BFF angle to instill a feeling of loyalty in our minds. Banks may well be the most proficient at this in light of their constant reminders of being in the neighborhood and always there when you need them. Airlines try for the BFF aura by awarding frequent flier miles and rewarding certain levels of participation with higher levels of attention. Kinda makes you feel warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it? But friendship is a two-way street and a closer look at the relationships claiming BFF status in the business world are anything but two-way.

I have a friend, Dave, who has maintained a long term relationship with the bank in his small, rural town. During this relationship, he has, from time to time, applied for an unsecured loan and has never been denied. And for good reason, since he has never failed in repaying the entire loan in a timely manner. Any business would consider him a good customer. Not any more, though. Dave’s most recent request for an unsecured loan (in an amount far shy of past requests) was denied. You see, the small town bank is now part of a larger group that passes judgment based only on numbers. No history, no relationship, no BFF. Sorry, Dave. Can’t help you. (He’s looking for a new bank, BTW.)

This tale got me thinking about our supposed long, close, mutually beneficial relationship we have with commercial enterprises whom we choose to frequent. The success of these BFF’s depends on one thing only: the continued flow of money from our pockets to their coffers. Once that stops, look out. No more BFF’s, my friends. Some companies dwell on their concern for your welfare while others “buy” your loyalty with perks that are dependent on your continued patronage.

Drug dealers aren’t much different, you know: they offer freebies until you’re hooked. Then the prices start going up. Prostitutes are famous for telling their clients what they want to hear and showering them with love and affection. For a price. Once the money train stops, so, too, does the affection. Am I likening corporate America to a bunch of drug dealers and hookers? I’ll leave that for you to decipher.

Try walking into your bank (assuming you are BFF’s) and asking to use their restroom. Or, perhaps, a cup of coffee. Something that a bank does not ordinarily supply, but something one friend would be glad to provide for another. Or walk up to the airline counter and ask for a meal voucher because you’ve had a bad day, the flights are late, and you’re hungry. After all, you’re a plutonium level flier and a BFF according to the literature they regularly send you. Simple experiments like these will readily separate the true BFF’s from the impostors.

It’s sad to say, but most of our commercial BFF’s out there are something far less loyal (or friendly). They hope that we’ll buy into their spiel, though, because, if we do, we’ll be CF’s (Customers Forever). Some businesses out there truly strive to meet our needs and expectations and will go the extra mile to maintain their business relationship with us. Others, unfortunately, are concerned only with creating the façade of loyalty and will turn their corporate backs should that prove to be in their best interest. It’s up to us to identify our true BFF’s out there in the marketplace and reward them with our repeat business. And for those that might think every business has a legitimate concern for the welfare of its customers: LOL!