A Cold Night, Hot Soup…and Great Customer Service!

0
177

Share on LinkedIn

Not too long ago, while checking into a hotel on a damp San Francisco night, the front desk clerk noticed my sniffling and asked if I wanted chicken soup. “That’d be great,” I replied, assuming it was just a sympathetic comment and not an actual offer. I was therefore quite surprised when, only a few minutes later, there was a knock on my door and a server brought in a steaming bowl of soup.

Now this, I thought, is great customer service.People with Text Edits

Why did that chicken soup feel like great customer service, even to a seasoned and rather skeptical CX analyst like me?

Because that bowl of soup was the perfect example of a customer experience that built value—for the hotel chain and for the customer. Guests expect comfortable pillows and a friendly concierge, but they don’t expect complimentary soup when they’re sick. Therefore, this interaction didn’t just satisfy—it created a positive, memorable moment, while showcasing the hotel’s brand as caring and customer-centric.

There are thousands of ways to build value: sometimes it’s what you say, other times it’s how you say it, and sometimes it’s in the amenities.

Building value to create customers who are more than just “satisfied” is critical, because only emotionally engaging experiences correlate with a lift in loyalty and revenue (ask us for the research by Gallup and others).

Every interaction can build value—but you won’t consistently accomplish this through random luck. That’s why you need a plan to strategically build value into each customer’s experience.

One way to add value is to brand outside the box. Providing soup to sick guests brings the brand into the customer’s lived experience­—and makes the brand more than just a logo and mission statement.

Another way to build value is by providing useful information and tips to customers, which highlights your company’s expertise. Similarly, cross-selling your existing products and services ensures that your customers’ needs are met—including those they don’t realize they have.

The point is that your customer service should add value for you AND your customers; it should never just be a cost. Chicken soup is one way that one company added value and created great customer service—but the options are endless!

Start adding value. Learn about Customer Experience Planning by Interaction Metrics.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Martha Brooke
Martha Brooke, CCXP + Six Sigma Black Belt is Interaction Metrics’ Chief Customer Experience Analyst. Interaction Metrics offers workshops, customer service evaluations, and the widest range of surveys. Want some ideas for how to take your surveys to the next level? Contact us here.

ADD YOUR COMMENT

Please use comments to add value to the discussion. Maximum one link to an educational blog post or article. We will NOT PUBLISH brief comments like "good post," comments that mainly promote links, or comments with links to companies, products, or services.

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here