(This is a follow up blog to our weekly #MagnetMarketers session with Jessika Phillips and Mike Gingerich, and Ravi Shukle)
One of the best ways to run a business is to focus on delighting every single customer. Delight is when you bring your customers a good feeling, an experience of positivity, and going above and beyond. When you delight your customers they are full of happiness and joy. Often delight means doing something that your customer didn’t expect. The difference between delight and customer service is going that extra mile.
So, how can your brand add delight?
Delight is at the foundation of how you articulate to your team the values of your company. Trying to delight must come from the heart. There is no procedure manual or handbook that can prepare your team for the vast experiences they may have with a customer, and an if this/then that way of proceeding those issues leaves no room for the creative solutions your team may have.
Instead, prepare your team to delight by focusing on your values. When you can empower them to focus on the value of delight, they’ll be free to make decisions based on those core principles. Make it part of your business culture.
Then hire by these values. Who can innately resonate those values? We like to say (amongst many others), hire for the passion and train the skill. Skills can be taught and employees can learn. But passion is not a teachable skill, nor is your mission statement. Find out those people who can live the mission statement, who have a passion for what you’re doing, and then train them on the job.
Of course, you are the main example for your employees. Be sure that you are following and living your own words and values, so your employees can learn from you.
Outside of your internal staff, to provide delight you have to make sure you and your team are available to “answer the phone.” Be there when people need you. This can be making time for customers in person, through text or phone, or by responding to social media quickly. Although consumers now are very independent and are efficient at solving problems, when they need something they can’t do themselves, they want someone to be there and available. So answer the phone or respond to the tweet.
And, say what you mean and do what you say you will do! One of the biggest ways to add delight (and at its core)? Be empathic. Try to see things from their perspective, and let them know that you understand.
Experience is the number one thing that differentiates between businesses. So give your customers a good experience, whether they have a simple problem or a big one, and be consistent. You will create loyal customers, who are our best advocates. The bottom line is that this is valuable for your return on investment.
On the flip side, a recent study showed that 86 percent of customers abandoned a purchase because of a bad experience or customer service. It would be almost impossible to win them back after they abandoned your business because of a bad experience.
So, ask for feedback. Are you doing what your customers expect of you and providing them with delight, or are there ways you could improve? Talk to your team and customers. They could provide valuable ways for you to add delight.
If you missed out on our session you can hear the full conversation and replay here. Join us next week on Tuesday at 2 p.m. EST on #MagnetMarketers for our next session!
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