As many of you know, I am pretty busy on the road speaking at conferences and events throughout the U.S. and abroad. Those who attend my events tell me that they love seeing my energy and passion. I just love it! Speaking and training gives me the opportunity to provide my audiences and clients with fresh ideas on how to make the Customer Experience a little more Magical!
Actually, making the customer experience magical is not that difficult. Sometimes people think too much and make it appear to be very complicated. It can be pretty simple. The secret is to look for opportunities to “wow” your customers. When customers are in a situation where their expectations are exceeded, such as being “wowed”, it affects their emotions in a positive way. The result is a positive memorable experience that will be told in a story to others. Not only great for you customers but also great for business too!
Here a four opportunities to look for to “wow” your customers:
- Solve a Problem
The chance to shock and awe your customers will arise when they present you with a problem that needs solving. According to research conducted by the Glance Group, 70% of unhappy customers, whose problems are resolved, are willing to shop with a business again. So, have no doubt. Your customer’s dilemma is your opportunity be a customer experience hero and “wow” your customers.
- Give Your Staff the Power to be Effective and Flexible
In the service industry, it pays off to expect the unexpected. Because one thing is certain: There will be times when your company’s established policies don’t fit the situation. There will also be times when a customer presents you with a problem that you’ve never dealt with before.
That’s why you have to encourage your staff to think on their feet and give them the power to make important calls and decisions. I find that employees that are empowered to take action at work when a problem or opportunity arises are more engaged employees. More importantly, companies with engaged employees see 233% greater customer loyalty and a 26% greater annual increase in revenue. That’s a “wow”!
- Offer a Solution That Goes Beyond What They’d Expect.
I believe your customer’s loyalty is out there and ripe for the taking. You just have to put in some extra effort. 84% of customers report that their expectations have not been exceeded in their last interaction with a business. So, what’s stopping your organization from going the extra mile? Your customers are just waiting for you to blow them away and it doesn’t take much to do it.
4. Keep Your Promise and Personalize It
Believe it or not, offering solutions that go beyond your customer’s expectations is the easy part. Following through on the promises you’ve made them is where the real work comes in. But, it’s also how you gain their loyalty.
Trust is an essential element in building your business’s reputation and retaining loyal customers. Loyal customers spend 67% more than new ones. When it comes to the customer experience, the level of effort you put into acting on your promises matters even more. In fact, 1 in 3 customers say they will pay more to receive a higher level of service. Ever been to Disney World? It certainly is not cheap yet we all will go visit. Adding a little extra personalized magic to your customer experience will go a long way. Personalization is how you will truly “wow” them.
The bottom line is to always look for opportunities to “WOW” your customers. “Wow”, is what your customers should be saying when they walk away from an interaction with your business and employees. They should be shocked that you want to help solve their problem, the creativity and energy in the solution you’ve offered them, and “wowed” of how you delivered that solution. Now that is Magical!