What causes your customers, clients, members, guests or patients to want to continue to do business with you? What do you do that sticks out in their minds and makes them want to come back and see you, contact you again or continue to give you their money?
How do you want your customers to feel after they have had contact with you either in person or over the phone? What do you want them to say about you and how do you want them to describe their experience? Just as first impressions are memorable, so are last impressions.
In many of my seminars, keynotes and workshops, I often ask my audience these particular questions:
1. How do you want your customers to feel after they have had contact with you or a member of your team?
2. What do you want your customers to say about you, your business or staff?
3. How do you want your customers to describe their experience with you?
Then I ask the audeince; “What do you think your customers responses would be? Would they be the same or different?” After the exercise, many are faced with a sobering reality and wonder if there is a big gap from what they want the customers answers to be compared to what actually takes place during the customer’s experience.
We all know and talk about the importance of first impressions in regards to the customer experience. Now let’s focus on last impressions. Here are three strategies to guide you in order to make the best last impressions.
1. Thank people for visting your business, shopping or contacting you. Make sure everyone expresses sincere appreciation whether the customers buy or not. This can be done by words, actions or attitudes.
2. Ask them to return soon. One reason why a cutomer becomes loyal to your business is that you show some love and appreciation that many businesses do not. “Thank you for choosing us and please return soon.” makes a strong impact on customers.
3. Leave them wanting to return by doing something unexpected. When everyone in your business is truly customer focused through their actions and attitudes, customers will have good feelings and memories about your business. Just providing lip service will no longer work.
The entire buying, shopping, visiting, treatment or service experience plants positive or negative feelings within your customers. The entire experience either causes them to want to return or not want to come back and do business with you. People cary their feelings with them for a long time when they leave you and this will impact their choices the next time they need your products or services or refer you to their friends and family.
Everyones associated with your business must intentionally leave a lasting impression on their customers that will impact positive feelings about their experience with you. That is when the customer experience becomes “Magical”.