Have you ever had a customer service experience that left you saying “wow”?
The other day, I had one of those “wow” experiences. I was staying at a hotel in Hollywood for work. The only way to park was through valet. The attendant asked me for my name and wrote it on a tag to hang from my rear view mirror. I gathered my luggage from the car and walked into the hotel. I made my way to the reception desk and as I approached the counter, the employee behind the desk said, Sarah? I was blown away! I even said, “Wow! How impressive!”
Working in the customer service industry has made me extremely sensitive to service issues. The employee that knew my name wowed me. So how do you go about creating experiences that wow customers?
Set Your Service Apart from the Crowd
Sometimes, it’s the little details that can set service apart from the competition. Think about what touches you can add to the customer experience.
For example, the restaurant Roy’s has this concept mastered. They include personal messages in their menu when customers celebrate special occasions, they pull chairs out for guests to be seated, and they refold customers’ napkins when they step away from the table. These gestures may be small, but when I had the pleasure to dine at Roy’s, I noticed their effort! To learn more about the little touches that can boost the customer experience, read this blog post.
Exceed Expectations and Build Opportunities for Repeat Business
Keep in mind, a positive customer experience can lead to repeat business. Employees need to be prepared to answer and respond to customer questions and requests with grace and eagerness to serve. James Barnes, author of Secrets of Customer Relationship Management, says, “A typical business only hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers—the other 96% leave, 91% for good.”
Set the precedent with employees and customers that feedback is appreciated, both positive and negative. If you’re not hearing feedback, I promise someone is. It’s more beneficial to hear the complaints, so you have a chance to respond both verbally and through improvements in service standards.
Offer Consistent Service by Implementing Training
If service is truly a priority, ensure you provide consistent service across all departments. Imagine what it would be like to walk into that same hotel mentioned at the beginning of this post, experience superior service at the front desk, make my way to the restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat, and be treated like an imposition rather than an opportunity to serve. My overall impression of the company would plummet. Remember, all it takes is one bad experience to taint a customer’s impression of a company.
So how do you provide consistent service? Train employees! Customer service training teaches employees how to communicate positively and professionally with customers. If everyone is on the same page, you can ensure consistent service across every department.
Outline the Importance of “Wow” Customer Service
Sometimes it’s hard for employees to see how the service they offer affects customers. Play a little game with your employees and have them keep track of customer service experiences they’ve encountered good and bad. Once they start to pay attention to the way different styles of service affect them, they will start to understand why the way they treat customers is important.
Photo courtesy of Camdiluv