Reman U
- Author: Jennifer Porter
- Subject Matter: Customer service
- Issue: Customer experience radar
Business Training
I went to dinner with the Reman Wingman following several hours spent in our booth on a recent trade-show floor. A bit tired and jet lagged, we were anxious to eat.
The restaurant we picked wasn’t too busy, and a friendly hostess sat us almost immediately. Within minutes, our server approached to offer drinks and make menu suggestions. We ordered – and waited.
Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time. Piping hot and plated well, it looked pretty good. My burger was missing cheese, but I was too hungry to care. I figured when our server came by to check in, I’d mention it if he asked.
Aside from some glances he shot us from across the restaurant a few times, our server didn’t come back to check on us again. When we flagged him down for our check, only then did he ask how everything was.
Whether a result of current day-to-day responsibilities, having worked in the service industry, or growing up around my dad’s high standards in his own businesses, I just can’t quite turn off my “customer-experience radar.”
In line at a coffee shop, I notice how the customers waiting in front of me react to the tired, “I’d-rather-be-anywhere-but-here” cashier. Or the personable,
“I’m-willing-to-fix-your-order-no-matter-who-messed-up” barista at the other end of the counter.
Jumping through an endless toll-free prompt loop from internet provider X when our Wi-Fi is down, I make a mental note to never, ever let our phone system frustrate our customers in the same way.
The list goes on and on. But am I the only customer out there whose experiences at one business affect how I view another? You’re kidding yourself if you think so.
When your customers return to your door, are they consciously or unconsciously comparing you to their last direct experience with you – or the last time they simply were a customer? I think the answer is both.
The quality of service in your business is no longer being measured against your competitor down the road. From airlines to oil change drive-ups to mind-blowing apps, the customer experience bar is being set all around.
As you work hard to keep your product, service, and people at their best, you run the risk that your exceptions – and exceptional way of doing things – become viewed as the normal, every day standard.
So, what’s the solution? Stop trying to be great and kick a$%? Hardly.
Here are 5 tips to help keep your exception from becoming the rule:
- Have more than one thing that you do really, really well. The more exceptional ways you run your business, the more positive moments you create for your customers to welcome with open arms.
- Keep a pulse on your metrics. And not just your sales numbers. Your customers can be buying at the same time that you’re providing average or even less than average service. Your bottom line might be painting the picture, but it will be in black and white if you don’t factor in the other numbers at your disposal.
- Know the impact of a positive attitude. “Good enough” is neither good nor enough. Be quick to correct this with your customer service front line – and equally quick to recognize when they’re elevating the environment around them.
- Ask and ask again. A business shows it cares about a customer’s opinion by openly asking, “Hey. How’d we do?” The ones who care a bit more ask a second or third time. The real bar raisers? They find a way to put that feedback into action and then share with their customers that they were actually listening.
- When the answer is no, figure out how to say yes. Savvy customers will look for other options when they’ve been told “no” for one reason or another. If you can overrule an archaic policy, get buy-in from another department, or find a way to remove the obstacle, you win.
You can’t control your customer’s perceptions, changes in the marketplace, or your industry. You do, however, have a direct impact on what great customer experience actually means these days. Your customers aren’t waiting for you to fail them. They’re waiting to be wowed.
