I used to make the tastiest, freshest, coolest pineapple juice for hubby, my then boyfriend, when we were dating.
I would carefully slice the pineapple into perfect pieces and then I would blend the juice, chill it to just the right temperature and then serve it to him with a dash of ice cubes, in a long glass. He didn’t stand a chance, poor guy…
“How come you don’t make me pineapple juice anymore?” hubby abruptly asked me the other day while I was busy trying to connect to promised Wi-Fi at the restaurant we were in.
Is it just me or is anyone else experiencing these strange happenings? For the last couple of months, I have been to more than five premises, ranging from restaurants to hospitals that have strategically placed signs reading Free Wi-Fi, only that it does not work.
“I’m sorry, today the network seems to be on and off.”
The management knows that internet accessibility is a necessity, and the only way to get a hyperactive Nairobian to sit down for an hour as they wait for service is to promise Wi-Fi.
One hour later though, after paying a hefty bill for a meal, you realise that you have been conned. The ‘Free Wi-Fi’ sign is simply a marketing strategy.
When it is active, the bandwidth is so low, you can only receive WhatsApp messages, and even then, the images won’t open.
These business people must have borrowed a leaf from dating couples. When we are newly in love, we are at our best behaviour, and aim to give our love interest only the best. Once married, couples soon realise that what they saw when courting is not what they get in marriage. You know the saying; love is blind, marriage is the eye-opener.
Like the onion theory in communication, with time, we each peel off the outer layers and our deeper self is gradually revealed. The other day, a young relative happily announced to us that she was going out on a date.
“Don’t be yourself!” I joked, “You might scare him off.”
She is the sweetest, smartest, kindest and most opinionated girl I know, and has an aversion for wrinkles.
“And please, don’t tell him that you cannot peel potatoes, not yet anyway”! I reminded her.
By now, you must be wondering what I told hubby when he wondered why I no longer made him pineapple juice from scratch.
This was my response; “My friend, nothing lasts forever!”
“It was a marketing strategy. A perfect one I should add, if the way you unleashed that ring is anything to go by.”
He laughed as I added, “Whatever happened to the flowers, dinners and other endless romantic gestures you used to surprise me with?”
“Once you got into the box, I did not need to market myself anymore, did I?” he asked with mock seriousness.
“More than ever. I need to trust that this brand is for keeps,” I told him.
You see, organisations that fail forget one vital strategy for sustained growth and success. Consistency. If you are consistent, you gain trust from customers, giving rise to customer loyalty. Getting customers interested in your services is not too difficult. But retaining them? That is where the bulk of the work lies, and ultimately, the mark of success for any company.
The same steps apply if you want to make your marriage succeed. Dating and walking down the aisle is easy, but sustaining a happy, fulfilling relationship takes much more than a promise of free Wi-Fi. There is pride to discard, compromise to adopt and forgiveness to embrace.
I am re-learning how to blend pineapple juice, and hubby is taking a crash course on flower selection and hand-written notes.
