Last week I mentioned how disappointed I was when eating at a restaurant that couldn’t accommodate a menu change for my colleague. Just as I was beginning to wonder if customer service still exists, I was out with two friends on Friday evening and had a great experience. One of my friends asked if the soft shell crab appetizer could be served as a main course instead. The waiter said, “We will do whatever you want - just tell us and we will be happy to arrange it for you.” What a difference in attitudes and what a different experience for us!
How often do you take the opportunity to WOW a customer and say, “I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are satisfied when dealing with our company.” It is a tough thinkg to offer - but the resulting escalation of customer loyalty might make it all worthwhile.
Let us know if there is something you are doing this summer to WOW your customers like this restaurant did.
I was at lunch today at a local deli in north/central New Jersey. My colleague asked if she could have a small “Sloppy Joe” sandwich. For those of you who don’t know, a Sloppy Joe is a New Jersey term for a sandwich piled high with corned beef or pastrami, thousand island salad dressing, cole slaw and cheese - or a variation of these ingredients. It is notoriously huge, and my friend knew she could not eat it all .
The waitress, to her credit, was very straightforward. “Sorry,” she said, “they are not that good here at offering any substitutions or changes to the menu. If it was my restaurant, I’d be happy to accomodate you, but I can’t.”
What a sad commentary in an economy when customer satisfaction is so critical. This deli couldn’t be flexible enough to delight the customer.
Think about what your employees are saying about your company. is your reputation solid - do you work hard to make customers happy - or are you inflexible, unable to address the specific issues or needs of your customers? Let me know!
Have a nice weekend everyone.
Every industry can find new ways to market to customers and potential customers by leveraging the calendar. A wide raneg of different activities can be planned to take advantage of summer fun or the winter holidays. For example, the Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day all offer exciting and creative opportunities for you to gain the attention of your customers.
For years, our firm has sent Thanksgiving cards instead of traditional holiday (Christmas) cards. Children of our staff participate in a contest to design the cards and while one winner is selected to be printed as our annual card, all the children who submit drawings receive a U.S. Savings Bond. So we gain two ways - a great card to send to the business community and an internal, culture-building event. And, by doing this at Thanksgiving, we are enable to reach out to clients BEFORE the holiday rush sets in.
Other companies use patriotic themes or secondary holidays like Halloween to make a statement to their customers and have a little fun too. No matter how you choose to leverage a seasonal message, through greeting cards, special discounts, events, or just to work with a strategic partner to temporarily bundle some of your services or products (sun screen might be packaged with coupons for soda and hot dogs for the next family picnic), using the calendar and adding a whimsicle touch to your marketing can have a significant impact on your customer base as well as increasing your ability toon attract new customers too!
This clever phrase serves as a reminder to all business owners that with two ears and just one mouth, we should be listening twice as often as we speak! Although it sounds “corny,” this is actually terrific marketing advice.
No matter what business you are in, customers are attracted and retained based on your ability to create value-added relationships. This is most effectively done by simply listening to your customers. They will tell you what they need, what they value, and what they will pay for. Instead of looking at marketing/sales as something you need to impose on customers to gain their attention and build brand awareness, think about listening as being your best marketing strategy.
Instead of concentrating 100% on gaining ‘market’ or ‘wallet’ share, think about how you can earn the customer’s ‘heart’ share.
Loyal customers are your best referral sources, so this summer designate some time to ask important questions of your customers - and really listen to their responses. Then adjust as appropriate so that you can meet their needs and create a win-win situation for you and them!
Let me know if this works for you.
Last week I was waiting for an 8:30 am Acela train to attend a conference in Washington DC only to discover that it had just been canceled! Fortunately there was a Regional train coming along in about 20 minutes. It was, of course, packed because it had to accommodate passengers like me who were originally scheduled for the Acela. There was also a price differential between the Regional and Acela trains.
When I returned from the conference I called Amtrak, seeking a refund of $32. Unfortunately, I was told they could only give me a one year coupon for future travel for the difference in ticket price. I found it interesting that they canceled a train, pushed us onto a crowded, slower Regional train, and then had no process for making restitution for the inconvenience.
I mentioned that I would probably not be traveling on the train over the next 12 months and since the cancellation was their fault, not mine, I didn’t understand how they could refuse to give me back the money. There was no explanation and it appeared that no one cared much about whether or not the passengers were unhappy.
While this situation might be extreme, you should consider your interaction with customers, most especially when you have made a mistake. Instead of turning the situation into a nightmare, you can demonstrate how terrific you are to work with by fixing the problem in a way that pleases your customers! Let me know some of your ideas.
At a recent conference I sat in on a presentation focusing on the topic “Your customers most critical challenges.” Interestingly, as you might suspect, what business owners found to be the greatest challenge, and what they value most, is TIME. In fact, a survey by E&Y, reinforced this message. They found that 98% of their partners said they’d rather have an extra five hours each week than a $50,000 annual bonus! Those five hours were more precious than money in the bank to these partners! Talk about scarcity of resources!
Armed with this knowledge, it is not hard for you to figure out that the best way to attract and retain great customers is to find ways to make their lives easier - specifically by helping them save them time when interacting with your company. This might be in the ordering process, the billing process, or even in the delivery of your goods. At every point of contact, you need to identify some new way to enable a more efficient interaction so the customer does not waste valuable time when working with your organization. Let me know what ideas you have that might help customers reduce the time they spend with your company!
There are many ways that you can make your customers feel comfortable and valued. In a professional services environment this can include a welcoming receptionist, an attractive lobby with relevant reading materials, an offer of something to drink, or perhaps a private areas for guests to make and receive phone calls while waiting for their appointment.
In the retail sector there are even more ways to build a culture that makes customers want to “hang around.” The book stores now incorporate coffee shops, cozy chairs and plenty of space for reading. Wegmen’s, a well known east coast food chain, has a supervised play room so children can have fun while parents linger over gourmet food choices without feeling rushed. Banks figured out that coffee and cookies are popular for customers.
This all came to mind today. As I was shopping at a local Coldwater Creek (national women’s wear chain), I was thinking how much fun I was having when I realized I was humming along to a well known “oldie” from the 60s genre. I asked the sales associate what radio station they were playing because I was enjoying the various songs and she informed me that it is a CD that was created at headquarters, and is used in all their stores. The light bulb went off. Their typical shopper is from the baby boomer generation - and baby boomers love to hear the familiar music of the 60s and 70s that they listened to growing up. The experience of shopping was enhanced by the music and although I didn’t even realize it at first, the songs were creating a good feeling in me and were contributing to a good shopping experience.
This specific tactic may not work for every industry and every company, but what you should consider is the experience your customers have when they come into your facility - and then find ways (perhaps by asking staff and customers for ideas) that would make it even more pleasant for them.
Customers who are having a pretty good time will probably stick around and spend more money, as well as tell their friends. Why not try out something new. If you have any good ideas, let’s hear ‘em!
No matter what industry you are in, your website is an easy, efficient tool for branding your business and adding value for your customers while extending your reach to a global market in a very cost effective manner.
In order to be sure that you attract and keep visitors on your site, you need to find ways to add real value. If you spend a significant amount of space talking about how great your company is, or if the content is stale, there is no compelling reason for existing and future customers to return. To be sure that you are providing the resources customers need, ask them what they would like to see on your website. It may be industry trends, it may be new products and services, it may even be links to other sites that are relevant for them.
Whatever the case may be, for your website to really represent your company, building your brand while demonstrating your role as a leader in your industry, you need to make information available to your customers that is timely and meaningful. Find out what they need, and address those issues on your site to keep them coming back!
This evening I was standing in the lobby of the Marriot Hotel in Newark, NJ while waiting for a friend who was visiting from out of town. I was going to stop in the ladies room, but there was a sign on the door that said “Closed for cleaning.” As I stood there for a moment a staff person walked over and said, “If you are looking for another ladies room, there is one just down at the other end of the lobby.” She was wearing a ribbon that said, “Wow Service.” And you know what - she did deliver what she promised. She anticipated my needs, and provided a solution. Instead of waiting for me to look around and seek help, she was there to proactively assist me.
I am not sure who else she “wowed” tonight, but her actions impressed me. Her attitidue was a reflection of the hotel’s culture. The hotel provides good service along with fresh water and lemonade in the lobby and bowls of fresh fruit, cookies and other goodies that are strategically placed throughout the lobby near to comfy sofas and chairs, just to further enhancing the weary traveler’s experience.
How do you WOW your customers?
Every marketing class I ever attended over the years and every marketing text I have read have spent a good amount of time addressing the importance of a company’s “Unique Selling Proposition (USP).” This USP represents the combination of distinctive characteristics specific to your products and services.
Whether you manufacture corrogated cardbord, design wedding gowns, or own a NJ diner, there is something unique to your company. Until you are able to really define what is so special about your organization, it will be a challenge to have an effective marketing communications strategy. This is true because your marketing is a reflection of you, and your company, and it is designed to entice others to want to do business with you. If you cannot communicate why you are in the business, and what is so special about your business, you will not convince many people to try your services and products!
Discovering “why” you do what you do is an interesting exercise. Think about your company and consider it as an outsider would. Is the culture unique? Do you have extraordinary customer service? Do you have strong relationships, low prices, or high quality, one-of-a-kind products? Whatever the case may be for your situation, you need to be able to articulate why you are in your business in the first place. What are you most proud of; what do you have a passion for? When you can come to grips with these questions, and answer them in a comprehensive way for yourself and your employees, then you will be ready to launch a very effective marketing campaign with a targeted message that is sure to attract new business and help you retain loyal customers as well!
So tell me- why are you in your business?