Are customers delighted in how you deliver your products and services? As the year comes to a close, it might be a good time to reflect on how well you have served your customers.
Here are three examples of companies that place customer’s experience top-of-mind.
1. Over the holiday seasons, the Apple stores were like magnets. Some customers came to browse for gift ideas. Others were ready to purchase an item or two. Regardless, the demand on the employees was high. Impatient customers would interrupt the service of others in order to get the assistance they needed as quickly as possible. In order to ensure that customers are served in an orderly fashion, the store had a dedicated floor manager. His job was to greet the customers and inquire about their needs. Upon noting the needs, the floor manager advised the customer that an employee would be assigned shortly. The first-come-first-serve approach is fair and eliminates rude interruptions. The practice honours customer’s time and the acknowledgement of needs eases anxiety around service. When a bottleneck poses a risk to the quality of service, how would you minimize chaos?
2. Attending an opera is an experience for many. Not knowing any Italian, I needed to do some homework ahead to get an idea on what the opera was about. It was a nice surprise when I saw the English supertitle above the stage of Opera Bastille in Paris. Without the supertitle, I would have to guess the meaning of the libretto for La Boheme. I would be relying on the facial expressions, the body language, the acting and the music to create my own interpretation of the opera. The experience would have been very different. With the supertitle, I was able to synchronize the verbal and visual communications, and the opera music to fully enjoy the performance. In delivering your service, are you leveraging clear language and visual cues, and accentuating the delivery with appropriate sound and effects that complement the experience?
3. The annual Christmas window displays at Printemps Haussmann in Paris is a master piece of work. This year, the ‘Magical Christmas Journey’ features an interactive 3D animation of a magical journey for a boy. The awesome displays attract all ages. For the little children, Printemps built a viewing platform along the display windows. Children can walk along the platform to view the displays, come up close to the train, the toy soldiers, and musicians. What a thoughtful idea to help the children enjoy the displays. Otherwise, the parents would have to piggyback their child. For the products you offer, do you give enough thought to how your customers could truly enjoy the experience?
While it seems straight-forward in how your customers consume your products and services, it takes more care in thinking through how best your customers would use and fully appreciate what you offer. If you take the time to observe, listen, and place yourself in the customer’s shoes, you would uncover invaluable insights. Exceptional and memorable customer experience builds loyalty and is a key to viral marketing for your business.
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