Engineering the Customer Experience
Huge companies like Disney, Nordstrom and Apple are able to consistently deliver a remarkable customer experience by first carefully screening the thousands of potential employees who pass through their doors each year … and so can you.
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“Customer Loyalty can be worth 10 times as much as a single purchase.”
-White House Office of Consumer Affairs
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When a negative customer situation has been escalated to you, the last thing the customer wants to do is tell their story yet again. Begin by apologizing and letting them know what details you have gathered about their situation. They’ll be quick to fill in any gaps.
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Would you rather attract bargain hunters or experience seekers? If you’re using a coupon/promotion to drive more business, what’s your long-term goal? If you’re doing it to increase your visibility please remember this: You and your front-line staff should have a goal of providing an experience so remarkable that those customers will feel compelled to return … *without* a coupon.
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Only 12% of current marketing spend goes to customer retention. 33% goes to brand awareness and 55% goes to new customer acquisition. (Source: McKinsey) Imagine what might be possible if these companies flipped their priorities.
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Consider adopting “power phrases.” These are thoughtful phrases that are designed to leave customers with a positive feeling about their experience with you. “As promised…” is one example of this, and works especially well in written communications.
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“Make people feel genuinely good about themselves. That’s something the marketplace will always honor.”
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Find both simple and creative ways to stay in touch with your customers and prospects. They are used to receiving “vanilla” follow-up calls like, “Hey, just checking in…” and they are also used to no follow-up at all. Don’t be that guy/girl. Demonstrate care and personalize their experience.
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Asking permission to place a customer on hold (while you consult with a coworker in an effort to address their need) is more professional and more considerate than cupping your hand over the phone.
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When you find yourself suddenly becoming unclear in your answers to customer questions, it’s time to slow down and get help. If you don’t know something, it’s better to say so and offer to go and find the best answer.
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