SURPRISE Your Customers – Make Them Smile and Feel Special – 6 Examples
What is exceptional customer service anyway?
The United States Thesaurus states that exceptional means outstanding, excellent, brilliant, extraordinary, or incomparable.
When was the last time that…?
…received exceptional, extraordinary, or unparalleled customer service?
…were you surprised or delighted with a company or service provider that exceeded your expectations?
…felt important or valued after making a purchase?
…were you treated so well that the service made you smile or feel special?
…you walked away saying WOW!
WOW stands for Wonderful, Exceptional and Far beyond what you expected!
In my experiences, the WOW factor is hard to find.
It is often said that up to 95% of businesses will fail in the first five years. If a business lacks customers, it can no longer exist. 68% of customers will leave due to Service attitude or indifference.1 The good news is that 68% of customer retention is within our control. Read on for 3 reasons to provide WOW service, 3 leading customer service companies, and 3 personal ways I’ve been WOW.
Here are 3 big “R” advantages to providing exceptional customer service to retain customers:
- Reducation costs– It costs us 6-7 times more to get a new client than to keep the current one. two
- Rdirty facility– Customers who repeat spend 67% more. 3
- ReappearanceGenerate References– A loyal customer will generally refer up to 7 people after making 10 purchases. 3
Satisfied customers stay longer, cost less to service, and are easier to maintain. Also, they pay less attention to what their competitors are doing because. By contrast, dissatisfied customers tell 9-12 people about a negative experience. Many times we don’t even know our customers are unhappy because only 2% will tell them. Most customer turnover happens without the customer telling you.3 Think of the strong brands that have built a business around a strong customer focus…small business owners and large corporations alike can Leverage the same fundamental principles for stability and success.
Here are 3 examples of leading companies in exceptional customer service:
1. Nordstrom- “offering the best possible service, selection, quality and value.”
Nordstrom’s, which started in 1901, has a long-standing reputation for fanatical customer service. Their entire business model revolves around maintaining a customer-centric culture. My daughter worked for Nordstrom’s for several years, so I was able to observe their unmatched customer service and customer retention practices.
Brand loyalty was ingrained in Rayna from her interview, when the hiring manager said, “This might be the only interview you need to do in your entire life.” The seed was planted for a long-term career vision; pride in the company was transmitted. This loyalty has a positive impact on how “Nordies”, Nordstrom employees, treat the end customer.
Nordstrom’s doesn’t have a cumbersome policy and procedure book. Your values dictate the rules:
- Some of my favorite heroic stories are: Do whatever it takes to make the customer happy.
- Use your best judgement.
- Smile even if the customer doesn’t deserve it.
- Look for opportunities to become a customer hero. “Heroics” – Employees who see a colleague providing excellent customer service are encouraged to write a description of what they saw.
A Nordstrom salesperson delivering a suit to a client’s hotel on short notice
- Ironing a shirt for a client who had a meeting that afternoon.
- Wrapping a gift for a customer that was purchased at Macy’s.
- Warming up a customer’s car in the winter for a customer while the customer finished shopping.
- Knitting a shawl for an elderly client who needed a special length to pass the spokes of the wheelchair.
- Selling a customer two different shoe sizes
What can you do to go out of your way for your current customers? Can you make a positive connection? Make them smile? Do you make them laugh?
two. Southwest Airlines represents freedom [to fly] and we are committed to showing our Customers something different in the airline industry: low fares every day and superior Customer Service. With this simple approach, they have survived bad times and good: price hikes, rising fuel prices, and more. They strive to be the friendliest service in the sky.
I am a fan of Southwest Airlines and some of the special ways they SURPRISE me are:
- Resisting extra baggage fees when the other airlines have it.
- Send customers an anniversary card.
- Reward customers with loyalty rewards drink coupons.
- Have humor and dignity when talking to your customers in flight. Their culture has a fun spirit.
3. Walt Disneyit is a magical place that describes its surroundings affirming, “We create happiness.”
They capture the imagination of the customer. The average family will save up to three years for a trip to Disney World. Disney World recognizes that guests expect the park to be clean, friendly and fun. Each employee is responsible for exceeding these expectations. What do your customers expect from you? Can you creatively exceed these expectations?
You don’t need to be a Nordstrom, Southwest, or Disney World employee to create a WOW response.
I recently had three WOW experiences that might inspire you to think about your own WOW opportunities:
1. Amel’s Restaurant, Pittsburgh, Pa. My husband and I went back to a restaurant we used to go to when we went out. We shared our story with our waiter: we were there for a visit, we moved, and we were there thirty years ago as boyfriend and girlfriend. Then he showed up with a glass of wine on the house for us to celebrate. After our meal, he surprised us when the server brought out a special dessert and had “Welcome Back” written (in chocolate syrup) around the plate. Finally, the owner came to personally acknowledge us. We were so touched by the way they made us feel that we purchased a gift certificate so we could send our friends there.
two.cheese cake factory – During a recent business trip to the East Coast, while speaking at an International Women’s Conference, I and two other speakers had our flights cancelled. We went to dinner a bit bummed about our delay and mentioned our situation to the server. He quickly identified himself and offered us to stay at his house. However, we did not accept, but his answer moved us.
We wanted to share an entry. While some establishments charge a fee for shared meals or simply prohibit them, our waitress offered us another piece of fish so that our meal could be shared without us ordering more than we wanted. Her overall attitude was so accommodating that I informed her manager that she had exceeded our expectations. He responded, “That’s good to know, because we reward our staff with a free dinner certificate every time a customer compliments them. And they get a free meal for every compliment.”
3. FedEx Kinkos – I was making a display board for a presentation and was having difficulty mounting the elements on my display board. The clerk saw that I was having problems. Seeing this, he quickly helped me measure my board and fitted me with the proper adhesive. It took longer than we both thought so when the clerk said “normally we charge for this service, however this time I won’t” I was really impressed. I would have gladly paid for his time, however the fact that he went out of his way for free made me want to tell everyone.
FedEx Kinkos isn’t the least expensive place to get copies, however I happily pay a bit more because of their service. They have saved me so many times in a pinch before a presentation. I sent them documents in the middle of the night that needed to be completed and delivered in the morning. It’s a good idea to build a relationship with your local Fed Ex Kinkos.
About a week later, I received a follow-up call with a short survey about my experience. On a scale of 1 to 10 they wanted to know if you were satisfied with the service you received. They got a perfect 10+ plus from me.
Each of these examples impressed me. They found a way to deliver the Nordstrom, Disney, and Southwest level of service by paying attention to my needs and making me smile and feel special. They gave me more than I expected and they were memorable.
To remember your customers and be memorable to his clients
Consider the various ways you can communicate with someone personally…by letter, email, phone, face-to-face. How can you create a WOW experience?
© 2010 All rights reserved. girson beard original work
Edited by Robyn Girson
Sources:
one American Society for Quality and the Center for Quality and Productivity
2 Harvard Business Review
3 Bain and Company, 2002