The secret to customer loyalty and repeat business is exceptionally high customer experience. That’s it. I know, you’re thinking you can stop reading now. You’ve been told this millions of times. You already offer good customer service. But do you? Do you really know what outstanding customer experience looks, or more importantly, feels like? An experience is the internal feelings that brings your customers joy to work with and purchase from you. It’s the perception they have of your company. And no matter what you think you’re doing for your clients, if they don’t perceive it, it doesn’t exist.
No matter what you think you’re doing for your clients, if they don’t perceive an exceptional customer experience, it doesn’t exist.
Examples of Exceptional Customer Experience
- Make your clients feel special on their own terms - A National Speaker blogged recently about the hotel he stays at during training seminars. They greet him, by name, from the valet to the front desk. In addition, they have a bottle of scotch waiting for him in his room. Creature comforts when you’re away from home is always appreciated and remembered. Give your employees the empowerment to be flexible with your procedures.
- Acknowledge your clients, each and every time - While on a long weekend Birthday getaway at a regional spa, my husband and I were treated as the only guests in the place (believe me we weren’t!). At every interaction with staff; front desk, massage therapists, wait staff, etc., we were greeted by name, “Mr. & Mrs. James, how is your stay?”, “Mr & Mrs. James, how was your massage?”, “Mr. & Mrs. James, I noticed at dinner last night you preferred a later reservation, would you like me to take care of making another at that time for tonight?”, “Mr. & Mrs. James, what else can I do to make your stay more enjoyable?”, etc.
- Anticipate your customers’ needs - At the same spa the wait staff remembered us from day to day and the front desk offered to make reservations for us without us initiating the process. At a local diner where I attend a weekly networking meeting, the waitress knows everyone’s drink order and brings it around without having to ask. These little unexpected things are what set them apart from their competitors.
- Be flexible with your processes - Being flexible to the point that doesn’t completely alter your processes will gain your business added respect and loyalty among your clients. A customer wants their dessert before the main meal? Sure! What’s the harm? A client wants to pay upfront rather than your usual fee schedule – why not? Creating that cultural mindset within your business will allow your employees the empowerment to make the judgement calls that will provide the highest satisfaction among your customers.
- Walk in your customer’s shoes - Create a process that if so many people are cued in a line, automatically open a new register – no one likes to wait. Make your website and phone process easy to navigate for your client. It may be more convenient for you to have 20 prompts before a live individual comes on the line but a prospect or client will be in a much better mood if they can reach the person or department they need less time. And happy people buy more than angry, frustrated people.
When talking about differentiating and creating the core essence of a company, it’s the little things that you may not even know you’re doing that makes the difference between a one-time customer and a life-time loyal one that will pay a premium for your services, refer you often and only use you for their needs.
Want to learn more about creating an exceptional customer experience that builds loyalty and repeat business? Download our FREE ebook, How to Build a Remarkable Business by Focusing on the Total Customer Experience. Can’t wait and want to talk to someone now? Email, Vicki@Stand-Out-Results.com, or call us, 585.67BRAND. We’re here to assist you any way you need to create the customer experience processes that will set you apart from your competition and allow you to maximize your profits.
About Vicki James
Stand Out Results collaborates with their clients in the small to medium size professional industries to stand out from their competition by creating strategic, systemize marketing processes for more qualified lead generation resulting in higher sales and profits. Vicki M James, Growth and Accountability Partner at Stand Out Results, is an expert in internal and external branding, strategic marketing and customer experience. Working for local and national companies ranging from family owned to corporations for over twenty years she has developed an unique collaborative consulting style guiding her clients through a cohesive marketing system that results in clear messages and higher sales. When she's not sharing her knowledge about marketing, Vicki is sharing her passion of being socially conscious serving on the YWCA Empowering Women Luncheon Committee and the Rochester Women's Network (RWN) Executive Board where she represents the Marketing Committee as the VP and Chair.
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