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Service Excellence: Three Tips to Drive Repeat Business
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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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October 1, 2012 People don’t
like to feel like they are
a transaction. That is exactly how I felt when I recently rented a car.
The
rental car agent was fast and efficient. He spat out a series of
standard car
rental questions with laser-like proficiency. In fact, the entire
transaction
took less than three minutes. Speed = A+. Engagement = F. I remember
walking
away from the transaction saying “Wow, a robot could do that employee’s
job”.
It is important to note that people still like to feel like their
patronage is
valued. In that car rental example, I did not feel valued; actually, it
was
quite obvious that the attendant cared very little about making me feel
valued.
In his mind, it was “on to the next one”. To develop a strong service
culture,
we can never lose respect for the big “R”: RELATIONSHIP. People
(especially
customers) thrive off of relationships. Customers can easily tell if
you are
revenue-driven vs. relationship-driven. Even if the service transaction
is a
very quick one, it is still possible to establish a relationship which
can lead
to higher customer engagement, loyalty, referrals and repeat business.
Pay Attention to What Your Customers Care About It is amazing to
see how many
organizations implement all sorts of initiatives, without checking to
see if
those initiatives are actually important to their customers. For
example, I
have heard stories of hotels ironing newspapers! Those organizations
that get
it right, however, make a habit of regularly soliciting insight from
their
customers about what can further strengthen their relationship.
I was in Wegman’s Supermarket recently and noticed the employees, who retrieve shopping carts from the parking lot, using a sanitary wipe to clean the carts’ handle bars. I would imagine that there are many customers who care about that. I was walking around Washington DC’s National Zoo recently during the summer, and there were water-misting stations strategically located throughout the zoo for patrons to get a quick cool-off. Customers care about that. I recently stayed at the Eventi hotel in New York City, and in my guest room closet there were not only the standard hotel slippers, but also socks. Socks! Some guests, like me, prefer socks than slippers because my feet tend to get cold. It is critical to not fall into the habit of assuming that you currently know and will always know what your customers want. It doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been in your profession, or how many academic credentials you have. Your organization will only attain and maintain its competitive edge if it can accurately meet and exceed its customers’ expectation better than its competitors. Be Inclusive “I want you to
know me, care about me,
and make me feel like an insider”. That is the mantra of your loyal
customers
(and your potentially loyal
customers). One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to reserve
their
loyal customer treatment for only current
loyal customers. It’s as if
only those customers who have proven that they will return again, will
be rewarded with VIP treatment. Here’s a
newsflash: If you want new customers to become loyal customers, then
you have
to treat them like loyal customers! I can certainly understand how some
perks
may only be available to long-term customers (or frequent buyers), but
I’m
referring to the sense of urgency and caring that are given.
On a recent trip, the airline gate attendant was getting ready to initiate the boarding process. She said something along the lines of, “Welcome to flight xxx. We are now ready to begin boarding. As always, we will board according to zones, and we value our elite customers.” In case you missed it, here is the last part again, “We Value Our ELITE Customers”. Now, I happen to be a so-called ELITE customer with this particular airline due to my frequent-flier status, but my first thought was…”don’t you value everyone else??” Again, the idea is to create more loyal customers by treating every customer like a loyal customer (or at least make them feel like you want them to be a loyal customer). Feeling included also means that you accept your customers for who they are, and not minimize your service to them due to such things as their age, race, or (perceived) socio-economic status. Accepting your customers also means that you do and say things that will lift them up, and not bring them down. A friend of mine recently visited a spa to get a massage. When she visited the spa, however, she happened to be in the midst of an acne breakout. When the massage therapist came to the massage room, she told my friend, “Oh my goodness! You have lots of acne!”. #1) My friend already knew she had acne. #2) She felt embarrassed and self-conscious. Note: Customers should feel better as a result of interacting with you…not worse. Be Appreciative and Grateful What happens
right after you provide a
service or product to your customer? What about the day, week, or month
after?
You would be astonished to see how few companies have any type of
standard
regarding thanking their customers. Your customers just made a
conscious
decision to give you their business vs. giving it to another company.
They
should feel re-assured that their decision was the right one. In
addition to
verbally (and genuinely) thanking them for their business, consider
doing the
following within the first week after the
service:
I firmly believe
that customers would
prefer to be loyal, rather than bouncing around from business to
business. I
even know people who begrudgingly tolerate mediocre service because
they don’t
have the patience to look elsewhere. As a business seeking ways to
cultivate a
loyal customer base, you should make your customers feel
celebrated…rather than
tolerated. Pay attention to what your customers care about, be
inclusive, and
be appreciative. If you make a habit of practicing those three tips,
your
relationships will thrive and the revenue will follow.
About Bryan K. Williams Dr. Bryan K. Williams is the Chief Service Officer of B.Williams Enterprise, and the author of Engaging Service: 22 Ways to Become a Service Superstar and Work Like You Own It! 20 Ways to Go From Meeting to Exceeding Your Customers’ Expectations. Bryan’s passion is world-class customer service, and has facilitated workshops and delivered keynotes all over the world for various companies. He speaks on a variety of topics related to service excellence, employee engagement, and organizational improvement. As a consultant, Bryan works closely with companies to design, develop, and implement sustainable service strategies. His company’s online store includes a growing collection of customer service products that are well-suited for your training library. |
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B. Williams Enterprise, LLC Website: www.bwenterprise.net Email: [email protected] Facebook: BWEnterprise Twitter: @bwenterprise Phone: 240-401-6958 |