I have had the privilege of managing and leading teams at two different Five Star hotels in my career. They were both challenging and rewarding. Setting the expectations at the highest level for our guests as well as employees helped me understand the value of creating a magical and memorable customer experience.
One of the most rewarding parts of my coaching and training business is when I can help my coaching members and clients transform their current customer service level into a five star magical customer experience. This helps them differentiate their business from their competition. No matter what industry they are in.
A five-star experience is often referred to as a ‘luxury’ or ‘expensive’. Maybe even unattainable to most small businesses and organizations. When in actuality, a five-star experience has nothing to do with cost or luxury at all. A five-star experience can be achieved in any business or organization regardless of the industry but requires your people to be engaged and nice to people! It requires the use of emotional connections and very little investment of money. Think about how you can turn the simple transaction and customer service that you currently provide into an engaging emotional experience that customers will enjoy and remember.
Here are a few simple tips to create a Five-Star Magical Customer Experience!
- Use a Friendly Tone of Voice
We’ve all heard the saying ‘It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’ right? This couldn’t be more important or true when it comes to the customer’s experience. How we verbally send a message will dictate how the customer receives the message. When interacting with customers it is very important to watch the tone of your voice. This is an important first impression that a customer will perceive to evaluate if you are really interested in caring about them. Obviously important when conversing with a customer on the phone. They can’t see your expressions, but they can hear if you are smiling or not.
2. Use Their Name
Using a customer’s name not only shows respect but are the most important words you can use to create an emotional connection with your customer. Using a customer’s name is often challenging for employees to execute but it doesn’t have to be that hard. Here’s the thing, the customer doesn’t expect you to somehow magically know their name, however, when you do use it immediately creates an emotional personal connection. So always ask for their name and use it often.
Dale Carnage said it best: “A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
3. Show Genuine Interest
Customers make decisions based on emotions, not the facts and figures that are presented them. Humans crave connections and will feel more important if you attempt to make a connection and genuine in the process. Customers want you to show interest in them. The 80/20 rule applies here. Let the customer talk 80% of the time and you spend 20% of the time with them asking questions and showing genuine interest. Doing this will help you define and anticipate their needs.
4. Be Anticipatory
A customer doesn’t want to have to work hard to get their needs and wants met during their experience with you. Try to anticipate the needs of your customers and know what they really want or need before they tell you. Pay attention to what they say or not saying and remember their preferences to help anticipate your customer’s needs.
5. Be Knowledgeable
Be the expert in what you do and the product you provide your customers. I’m not talking about knowing the bare minimum about your product or service, but to know more than what the customer knows about your product or service. When providing a five-star experience you must know more than what is printed on marketing material, your website or social channels. The customer has already looked at all those avenues and has decided to do business with you! When they walk through your doors and ask a question they want to hear what they haven’t already read or heard about already. Becoming an expert and matching your knowledge to the needs of your customers will go a long way in establishing credibility and trust.
6. Give Them A Little Extra
Giving your customers something they didn’t expect and a little extra is a great way to provide a five star experience. It will be something they remember. For example, I always stay at the Westin Hotel at the LAX Airport when speaking in LA. Why? I like to go out for a run in the morning and when I return back to the hotel, the employees at the valet parking desk give me a complimentary bottle of water. That certainly doesn’t cost a lot of money to the hotel, but to me it is greatly appreciated. What can you do to provide a little extra to your customers. I have hundreds of ideas that I share with my coaching clients.
A five-star Magical Customer Experience can be achieved in any business or organization, regardless of the industry but requires all staff to be genuine, anticipatory, knowledgeable, and friendly. Transforming everyone’s mindset from customer ‘service’ to customer ‘experience’ will enhance in the execution of these insights to take your customer experience to the next level.
Need help? Contact me today and let’s begin creating your very own Five Star Magical Customer Experience! I promise your the benefits will be rewarding.