Consistent (and profitable) wow customer experiences don’t just happen, they have to be built from the inside out. Think about the Seattle Pike Place Fish Market — they sat around a table one day, sipping perhaps the first lattes ever made, and decided they wanted to be “world famous.”
They didn’t want to sell a gazillion fish. They didn’t want to make a bajillion dollars. No, they wanted to be “world famous.” So what did that mean? They realized it meant every single person needed to show up to work each day with an intention to give every single customer an amazing experience. Selling fish was secondary — playing, interacting with customers, this was always the top priority.
Have you and your colleagues decided what you want your business or nonprofit “to be”? If not, decide. What is your big, hairy, audacious goal (as Jim Collins’ describes it) — that vision and experience you strive for? Identify it. And then figure out how to build that experience from the inside out.
A wow customer experience comes in so many shapes, forms and textures, but each has one thing in common — they all involve anticipating a customer’s need before they even have to communicate it. They also involve an organizational structure that empowers front line staff to make decisions and take action that delivers on that need without a hiccup.
Consider your own organizational structure. Is your front line staff — those who interact with customers and constituents directly — constrained by regulations and protocol so much that it’s impossible to deliver a “wow” customer experience? What would it mean to shift that protocol enough to retain the good intention, while empowering staff to step outside the rulebook on occasion?
Yeah, it’s simple, but it works. Think about your “worst service ever” story, which you likely told six of your friends, whom told six of their friends.
I would wager that 95% or more of these experiences could have been transformed by simply taking a pause and listening, hearing, and empathizing with the customer.
Think about your own interactions with customers and constituents — or those of your front line staff. How prepared are they to listen, empathize and hear the needs behind what the customer is saying or doing? What could training in this area do to improve your ability to create a wow customer experience every time?
Everyone likes surprises, right? Surprises are the ultimate depiction of the concept, “under-sell and over-deliver.” Wow customer experiences are not about receiving what you’ve come to expect.
When I go to my favorite restaurant, I expect an amazing meal, excellent service, great local wine, and an atmosphere that just mellows me as soon as I walk in the door. What makes a meal there “wow,” might be that unexpected dish that’s on the specials menu, or the perfect wine recommendation from my waiter. That surprise I didn’t anticipate.
How can you deliver surprises to your customers? And equally important, how can you manifest an organizational culture that continually sets the bar higher and higher to continue to achieve wow surprises for your customers?
As I said, wow customer experiences come in many shapes and sizes, of course depending on the type of business or nonprofit you run, your customers, and their unique needs. These four tips are a great start toward building a culture from the inside out that makes exceptional service and customer experiences not only a top priority, but also a practical reality.
President of Numa Marketing, Tiffany Meyer has spent more than 15 years advising nonprofits and small businesses how to thrive by clarifying and communicating what makes them remarkable. She is the author of Writing a Results-Driven Marketing Plan: The Nonprofit's Guide to Making Every Dollar Count, and editor and contributor to several newsletters and online marketing resources. Learn more at www.numamarketing.com
Register now for this upcoming marketing webinar, presented by Tiffany Meyer. NOTE: While this webinar will include examples specific to setting objectives for events and training-specific services, this is not an NVC trainer specific seminar; it is open to the public.
This Wednesday, April 21, 2010
10:00am-11:00am PST - Fee: $25.00
Presented by: Tiffany Meyer, president, Numa Marketing (this webinar is open to the public and not exclusive to NVC trainers)
Space is limited — Learn more >>
