“Relationships are the biggest differentiator in customer and brand loyalty” (Dijulius, 2019).The relationship economy is all about the power of a relationship between the customer and company. With the rise of AI, there is a fear that jobs will be replaced as they already are being. However, the big theme of this book was that relationships are something that cannot be easily replaced. If a company simply creates a good product, then that can be replicated by another company and boom, their customers have switched over. A company should build relationships with its consumers in order to create loyalty, and no matter how hard AI tries, it cannot take the place of a human interaction.                                                                

God’s second greatest commandment was for us to love people as Christ loved us (Matthew 22:39, NIV). This is shown all throughout the life of Jesus as He made the most of every interaction with someone. It did not matter whether they were Jew or gentile, man or woman, prostitute or tax collector. Jesus loved people well. I like to live by the idea that everyone is worthy of a conversation. The most valuable thing you can give to someone is your time.

There were a lot of little tips the book gave on how to engage which included good eye contact, smiling, listening, and not interrupting (DiJulius, 2019). Every touchpoint a company has with a customer is an opportunity to make a lasting impression, earn trust, and build loyalty. We can look at evangelism the same way. One conversation has the power to change someone’s eternity. With more technology in the world, we are losing some of our engagement with people. I walk into a McDonald’s and there is not a smiling person taking my order. Instead, I go and click buttons on a massive tablet and then go pick up my food when it is ready. This may be efficient, but it is not personable. Chick-Fil-A does an excellent job at its customer service and providing touchpoint throughout the process.

This book gives a lot of tips and tricks to building lasting relationships whether in the business world or in everyday life. I loved the concept of FORD which stands for family, occupation, recreation, and dreams (Dijulius, 2019). This is a conversation guide for people to go deeper with each other. The deeper the conversation gets, the deeper the connection that is formed. In order to build deep connections with their customers, businesses have to actively listen to and genuinely care about their consumers. This care will then lead to a desire to help their needs and go above and beyond in serving them. Jesus did not come to serve, but to be served. Over Spring Break, I got the opportunity to go to Bali, Indonesia with a group of believers, and on the first day the leaders took each of us and washed our feet and prayed over us. This tiny act, set the tone for the entire rest of the trip. Whenever a business genuinely serves me well, I am inclined to come back so I can experience that again. Every week, my family goes to La Caretta after church to the point where we are friends with the owner now, named Orlando. Orlando is constantly talking to people and making jokes and checking in to see if everyone is okay. I walk into this restaurant and feel at home, because of the customer service, and evey time church ends, that is where I want to be.

In the end, this book was super applicable and opened my eyes to the power of relationships even more and I will definitely have to read it again a few years down the line.

DiJulius, J. R. (2019). The Relationship Economy. Greenleaf Book Group.

‌Holy Bible. New International Version.