Customer Experience Tip #1135

Whenever possible, provide your customer with a useful tip or two throughout their journey. People appreciate a little inside knowledge and shared wisdom … and they’ll remember you for that.

Customer Experience Tip #1134

“E-mail is great for information exchange but not for much more than that. Trying to persuade someone, explain yourself, or sell via e-mail is risky. Pick up the phone instead.”

–Lowell Nerenberg

Customer Experience Tip #1133

You may be at odds with a team member, but you can never let the customer experience suffer as a result. Keep your eye on what’s important and work to resolve those interpersonal challenges for the sake of your customers … and for your own well being.

Customer Experience Tip #1132

Host an annual party or event (something that’s memorable for being different) for your favorite customers & clients. Do this in the spirit of appreciation, but don’t be surprised when they end up meeting each other, talking about the value you bring them, and likely strengthening your level of referability.

Customer Experience Tip #1131

If your gut is telling you that something might be off with a customer’s current experience, consider getting someone else (the right person in your firm for this) involved just to check in with that customer.

Customer Experience Tip #1130

Before you make that call, consider what the customer has already told you is going on in their life and world. Now consider being sensitive to that; even asking about it when appropriate. Always seek to put yourself in their “shoes” and mindspace. Displaying genuine empathy can go a long way.

Customer Experience Tip #1129

“I have talked for a year now about this seismic change of consumer behavior changing and going away from bricks and mortar traditional retail shopping and to eCommerce and mobile. In order to mitigate that, I think it’s incumbent upon the responsibility of retailers to create these fantastic experiences that’s going to sweep them away.”

–Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks

Customer Experience Tip #1128

If you’re in the world of relationship selling, stay away from incentivizing customer survey participation. Your happiest customers are often happy to oblige. Your least happy customers want you to know their frustrations as long as they feel it’s safe and that you care to know. And your in-between customers (“Passives“) as well as your unhappy group may be a little nicer — and therefore less honest — about their “real” experience in hopes of winning that “Amazon Gift Card.” Skip the incentives, ask nicely, and be thoughtful with your content and delivery.

Customer Experience Tip #1127

When you witness a team member who is not contributing positively to the customer experience, it’s time for someone to have (what may turn out to be) a difficult conversation with that person. Or you could just ignore it and hope it gets better. But we all know that’s not likely to happen. What we ignore, we allow … and even encourage.

Customer Experience Tip #1126

Resist the urge to become defensive about a negative online review. Instead, be open to learning something from the feedback. And be sure to respond in a non-defensive manner: Listen, apologize, solve, and thank. (L.A.S.T.)