Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better when it comes to quality

When I was a little girl in small-town northern Utah in the US, my grandma used to take me to Larsen´s Grocery (store), where they sold “penny candy”.

Back in those days, we could choose candy that literally cost one penny! I was also my grandma´s favorite grandchild, so she always let me have a bit more than the other grandkids, which made me feel even more special. She would wink at me while she let me have a little more than the rest. That is how I knew she loved me. While I was choosing that candy that included the original Cracker Jack caramel popcorn that was an American classic, my grandma would pop the lid off her Coca-Cola glass bottle and “shoot the breeze” with the Larsens, who had been her dear friends for many years. Truly, those were the good old days…

Aaah, those were the days! Those were the days when we would go to a “mom and pop store” or a “corner store” in the neighborhood, stay as long as we wanted, and talk to the owners, who were usually a married couple who later brought their children into the business. Where I live in Chapala, Mexico, with my teenage son, there are many of these types of small businesses everywhere. I love going to my corner store and talking with Antonio and Maria, the “tienda’s” owners.

This month, I had a big company vs. smaller “aha” moment. I registered my company email [email protected] under the biggest company name in the world, while moving my domain to a smaller, lesser-known company. However, I could not find the bigger company’s customer service contact number or email, or chat for three weeks. All this time, I was unable to receive or send any emails, despite my best efforts to get any help from anyone except an AI bot in a chat, which did not understand what my problem was. It was frustrating beyond belief! I had prospecting clients via this email, and I may have lost business, which, for a small one-woman company like mine, which is only a “mom” company, represents a huge problem. It also does not help that I am not good at solving technical issues at my age…

How did my problem get solved?

Well, I finally got on the Customer Service chat on the smaller company and explained my problem of not being able to use my company email [email protected] for about three weeks. With a simple explanation that I could actually understand, they explained to me how I could simply get the same email on their domain by paying $25 a year. I could not believe it! They guided me personally on how to click on a certain link and pay. I immediately went there and got my company email back. It was that simple! And of course, I was a happy customer.

What is the name of this company?

It’s Strikingly. Moreover, I am not getting paid anything except a small affiliate commission to recommend them, but I can only say that my experience with them has been phenomenal. They designed my website in minutes, their personalized chat service is with real people who solve, in my case, my real problems. I cannot recommend them enough! Most importantly, they will have my business as long as I am doing business. End of story!

Back to talking about smaller companies

In the article “Why Small Companies Do Better Than Big?”, it highlights the following:

“One of the prime ingredients of a company’s culture is the policy of “the customer is the king”.

As the founder of Empalingua, “where empathy meets tutoring”, I can say that our clientele are “clients”, not “customers”.

What is the difference between a “customer” and a “client”?

In this article called “Client vs. Customer: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?” it states the following:

“A customer is someone who buys products or services from a company, while a client refers to a certain type of customer who purchases professional services from a business. Generally speaking, customers buy products while clients buy advice and solutions. Additionally, clients are usually longer-term customers who are more loyal to your company and spend more money.”

On one hand, the idea of “customer” gives the idea that a “customer” is simply someone who buys something and leaves, like a “consumer” does.

A “client”, on the other hand, at least for me, gives the idea that there is a personal or closer relationship involved.

We are the “mom and pop” tutoring company that gives you old-fashioned service that is hard to come by these days

That is what Empalingua, “where empathy meets tutoring,” is all about. We are one of the smaller but greater companies. I do not want my company to grow to be like the larger tutoring companies out there. I want us to be one of the greatest, not the biggest. And that is what differentiates us from other companies…

We want you to feel like you are getting the best and most personalized service from us.

You are special to us, and you are our client who often entrusts us with your family and friends.

Now, isn’t that sweet?

Empalingua tutors the following subjects:

• Accent Reduction

• ESL (English as a Second Language)

• Business English

• Spanish

• Portuguese

• Test Preparation (TOEFL, IELTS, TOIEC, etc.)

• Writing

• Proofreading

• Public Speaking

• Spelling

*We also offer Translation, Editing, and Proofreading services that we have been doing for over 20 years.