Every company on the planet is searching for an edge to stand out from competitors. Today, that may be an app, using an AI chatbot possibly smarter than the people in the company, but it “ain’t got heart,” and customers know it. For airlines, seats could be a few millimeters wider, or a cup of coffee might be free. Car rental companies let customers pick any car in the aisle without an attendant, and restaurants offer buy one/get one free desserts, but who wants the calories? The downside to all of these benefits is that they seem to blur together in the customer’s mind and considered just the cost of doing business.
I admit that this column is a bit tongue in cheek, but I submit that the real difference in business is customer service, separating excellence from mediocrity, and providing customers with a human touch in this era of automation. It may sound “warm and fuzzy,” but it will invoke gratitude and build loyalty. Appreciation shows customers that a company genuinely cares about them as people, making the transaction not just simple and fast, but also a sincere reflection that the company values the business. Projecting this type of ethos doesn’t cost anything. It does, however, take some training, a change in mindset, and an emphasis on getting it done right to win over the customer.
Successful execution of a transaction that brings customers back occurs during the first and last 30 seconds of the encounter. Nothing beats a half-minute of sincerity, except giving the customer the product or service for free. A positive experience is remembered when it’s time for the customer to shop once more. Conversely, a negative experience can almost guarantee the opposite effect; even worse, the story will be repeated 10 times to others.
This kinder and gentler way of doing business is contagious. It sets behavioral changes that affect how a company does business and reflects its values. It sets a benchmark with employees to please customers; however, doing that consistently requires some amount of time in training. It cannot be a one-and-done process. Instead, it must be instilled in the company’s culture. It’s all about attitude and mindset, and it starts at the very top of the organization and quickly percolates through the company, touching every single employee.
It is easy to start: a short session to teach the gospel and a few role-playing rehearsals to practice walking and talking this new breed of civility. Of course, a company must first have the other prerequisite: a well-regarded product or service.
No one remembers what company came up first with the latest whistles unless it can’t be duplicated by others. Every customer, however, does remember how they were treated during the transaction, and if their expectations were met or even exceeded. For companies that perfect these rudimentary methods and techniques, there can be a noteworthy jump in employee satisfaction and morale. Promoting this culture can give a company an exponential return on these efforts and make it stand out from the crowd. Leaving customers with a good feeling supersedes bragging about free, over-brewed, and tasteless coffee.
Visit Michael Feuer’s website www.TipsFromTheTop.info to learn more about his columns, watch videos and purchase his books, “The Benevolent Dictator” and “Tips From The Top.”
