In this blog article we’re focusing on Raising the Bar and Elevating the Customer Experience from Average to Extraordinary. So, I’d like to quickly share MY 11 simple, sure-fire ways to create customer loyalty and delight.
Most likely, we’ve all heard many times… “Creating a Culture of Excellence is a JOURNEY, not a destination.” So, here are a few easy to implement tips and best practices that if your team consistently exemplifies will ensure each customer (your team encounters) has an absolutely memorable experience. So, let’s get started!
#1 – Greet Everyone with a Warm & Friendly Smile: And that’s regardless of whether they are INTERNAL customers (which would be your co-workers), or EXTERNAL customers – those who pay for your products and services. ALWAYS smile — making positive eye contact to promote an environment that is courtesy and respectful. and, remember to practice the “10-Foot / 5-Foot Rule” by acknowledging others with a smile as they come within 10-feet of you. And, extending a friendly greeting (of good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or how are you today) once they are within 5 feet of you.
#2 – Anticipate Customer Needs: This starts with being proactive, not reactive – right! You see, we can easily exceed customer expectations by just taking care of their needs and unexpressed wishes — before they have to ask. And, if a customer makes a special request – the last thing we should say is “That’s not my job!” Instead, try to take ownership and responsibility. And, if you can’t assist the customer, work quickly to find a co-worker who can.
#3 – Personalize the experience and create loyalty and delight: We exemplify this standard of excellence by observing customers’ likes and dislikes. Then using this knowledge to personalize each interaction. When interacting with customers, be intentional about learning commonalities – like similar hobbies, maybe you’re from the same hometown, maybe they like a little “small talk,” or maybe they don’t want to engage in ANY conversation at all. Think about it! These are all simple things that can be used to create unique, personalized, memorable experiences for your customers.
#4 – Use the customer’s NAME, if and when possible: I say this because I’ve learned that using people’s names is a powerful way to build friendly rapport, make a positive first impression – and most of all making the person feel valued. So, address customers by their preferred name, using Mr., Mrs. Miss, or any other title they prefer like Judge, Doctor, etc. You get the point. AND, most of all, be careful NOT to be overly familiar with customers using their first name or nickname, even if they insist. And when meeting someone for the first time, concentrate fully, listening to hear their name correctly and properly. As a matter of fact, my best practice is to REPEAT their name a few times (in conversation) to help me remember it.
#5 – Maintain positive eye contact to indicate that we are interested and attentive: You see, positive eye contact can be a very effective form of non-verbal communication, because it demonstrates that we are fully engaged throughout the conversation. And occasionally “nod your head” to show that you are attentive and interested in what is being communicated — always giving your undivided attention to the person you are communicating with.
#6 – LISTEN carefully and empathically with your ears, eyes, and heart: Empathy is so IMPORTANT – because it demonstrates that you understand and can relate to the other person’s situation or circumstance. So, listen carefully to what a person says (without interrupting). And, when interacting with someone “in-person,” be careful to observe their body language — also being mindful that your body language is approachable.
#7 – Be polite in your speech: When communicating with others, it’s so important to be mindful of your tone of voice and pace of speech always addressing others at a moderate pace, with enthusiasm and politeness. And avoid any slang, industry jargon, or acronyms that might confuse customers. Most of all, ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings — limiting sensitive, confidential conversations in public areas.
#8 – Use proper TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE: This means answering incoming telephone calls within 3-rings, with a smile, using the proper telephone greeting. You might say something like – Good morning, Human Resources, this is Theo, how may I assist you? And when it comes to responding to email, text messages, and even voicemail – create a habit of responding as soon as possible, no later than one business day.
#9 – Quickly Resolve Customer Complaints: This means if you receive a complaint – take ownership of it… which starts with responding with a “sense of urgency,” and seeing it through proper resolution to ensure complete customer satisfaction. And again, here is where our listening skills come into play! So, listen attentively, offering a genuine apology, quickly solving the problem, or finding someone who can, and last thanking the customer for providing you with the opportunity to improve. Remember, we want to make every effort to see the problem from the customer’s perspective, being prepared and empowered to provide reasonable options to resolve it.
#10 – Convey a Professional Image: Remember, in many instances – you are the first impression of your organization. So, it’s incumbent upon you to project a professional image by being well-groomed and properly dressed for your job. Also, taking into consideration that importance of maintaining a clean, organized, safe, accident-free work environment.
And finally, #11 – Escort Instead of Pointing Out Directions: So, if you encounter a customer who seems to be lost, or needs directions within the building, (if possible) break away from your duties (for a moment) to assist. And please understand, there may be times when you’re not able to personally escort them. However, in those situations try to find a fellow-employee who can. Most of all, when escorting others always walk at a moderate pace so they can keep up. Not too fast, or too slow.
So there you have it! Eleven simple ways to create customer loyalty and delight. And if you’d like more guidance on how to elevate the customer experience within your organization or team, contact us TODAY for details concerning our leadership and employee customer experience training and workshops.
This is just one of the many engaging, motivating topics covered in our Raising the Bar workshop for leaders and employees – where we focus on elevating the customer experience from average to extraordinary. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, contact us at [email protected]. It would be our pleasure to assist!