For many companies, the approach to success is mostly instinctual and rarely has a focus on wowing through customer experience. For others, details and a ironed out customer-first method works best—even though many think their customer service is inadequate. Regardless of the different approaches, today’s business world is a little different, and it’s not enough to rely on your gut and customers alone. You need to stand out from the crowd, offer better services, and connect with your customers on a more personal level. A fantastic experience will help create repeat business and generate referrals that will lead to the further growth of your business.
When thinking of customer service in my own life, one experience comes to mind—the purchase of my Hyundai. My initial experience was all positive, and the subsequent adventures that followed just solidified that they knew what they were doing when it came to customer satisfaction. There were a few reasons they stood out to me—and probably to many other customers.
- I was treated like I was the only customer in the world.
- They stayed in touch with me about the services I needed in the future without being overbearing.
- They admitted to faults on their end if a delay was expected.
- I was briefed on all work before it was done, and they explained everything in great detail so that I understood why they needed to fix something and how long I could wait before my next service.
- They made transportation to the dealership seamless with a free ride, which was both courteous and quick.
- The salesperson maintained a friendly working relationship with me through regular card exchanges.
Following my wonderful experience with the dealership, I was more than happy to recommend them to a family member looking for a new vehicle. This word-of-mouth sales ability was created solely from their ability to keep their customer happy.
This type of experience stands out even further because of how other dealerships have been following the purchase of my following vehicle, a Jeep. There were no maintenance calls or service appointment reminders, and I hadn’t been contacted by them for anything since the day of purchase. I also needed to get new tires for my Jeep, and it took over a month to have them fixed. All the while, I was told one week and continued to call them with no replies to any messages. This lack of customer service was maddening. It shows the stark difference between the two experiences, and it indeed shows why I would recommend the former dealership to family and friends.
WHAT DOES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Drawing off my two examples of how customer service can fall on opposite sides of the spectrum, it became clear to me how imperative it was to provide top-notch customer service to every client. In the world of review-driven sales and word-of-mouth opportunities, bad reviews can cost you thousands of dollars in the long run.
There are ways you can provide every client with a “wow’ experience. Learn how to anticipate your client’s needs. They are coming to you because you are the expert, and they expect you to make the experience as easy as possible. They want to be educated on the product, and you can do that by empowering them with all the knowledge they need to make the right decision for them. They’ll know the difference between spouting facts in a sales attempt and truly teaching them to give them the ability to decide for themselves. It’s also essential to not only remember how important they are to your business but also to make sure that they know it, too. Setting up systems so that no client ever falls through the cracks will help you stay on track. Lastly, all your employees should be on the same page with your customer service goals. One weak link can cost you big money.
It’s better to learn from others’ mistakes, think about what you can do to wow your next client, spoil the ones you already have, and generate more money through great customer experiences. If you don’t know where to start to help create a truly unique and positive customer experience, we can help you build a bulletproof plan towards a win-win partnership for life. Contact us today for more information!