Do you ever wonder if some small businesses can ever deliver good or even average customer experiences. I do. In fact, I actually believe that there are more good customer experiences being delivered every day than there are bad experiences. However, I’m like almost everyone who shops, dines and spends money. I don’t remember the average experiences. At least for not very long and usually don’t talk about it much. Oh, sure, if you are like me, you’ll mention it for a day or two to some of your friends and family. But mostly the average and sometimes good memories slip away pretty quickly. That is just the way it works with average to good experiences. We all forget.
Unfortunately, bad experiences don’t work that way. We all remember our bad experiences and we tell everyone about them. With bad customer experiences, you never forget. In fact, many customers have had enough of those bad experiences to begin to walk out and find someone new.
Bad experiences are costing small businesses like yours millions of dollars of spending each year, as your customers refuse to spend money with businesses that don’t care or meet their expectations. They know that if one business doesn’t give them what they need or want, it costs absolutely nothing to switch to someone that will. Or even just take the easy path to Amazon.
As your customers begin to weed out small businesses that tolerate bad service and experiences, the risk for those that don’t change are huge and the opportunity for those small businesses that get it right is even greater. Think about it. Aren’t your customers more likely to purchase from you after a positive experience? Even better, aren’t they more likely to recommend your business to others as well? You bet!
If you thought 2022 is going to be the year we all go back to normal you need to think again. What customers buy, where they buy, and how they use their purchases have changed – and will continue to do so. The gap between what what your customers expect, and what your business actually delivers is bigger than ever. In fact, 8 out of 10 people believe their customer experiences need to improve and they are willing to walk if they don’t.
As your customer’s expectations have changed, most small businesses haven’t kept up, perhaps waiting and expecting their customers to revert back to ‘the old way’. I beleive that’s not going to happen.
I am presently helping many of my small business clients radically overhaul their customer experience. An old, outdated one-size-fits-all approach to creating a ‘Magical’ customer experience just doesn’t work anymore. You need to listen harder and demonstrate to your customers that you hear them, that their voice matters and you are willing to make changes.
So what’s the lesson to be learned for you and small businesses who provide products and services? Do everything within your power to make sure the service and experience you and your team provide isn’t bad, so your customers won’t have anything to remember or talk about. You want them to only remember and talk about the great customer experiences. Now that will be “Magical”.
If you would like me to help you and your team create lasting and memorable magical customer experiences, now is the time. You can’t afford to have anymore of your customers walking out the door looking for someone else to buy from. Let’s partner together and make 2022 a memorable year. Contact John, America’s Customer Experience Coach today! info@johnformica.com or (704) 965-4090