Shep Hyken is back at it again with another great blog about the difference between good and great, and why this is an important distinction when trying to maintain customer loyalty. As he cites, his “customer service research found that the top reason customers are most likely to come back is because employees are helpful and friendly.” Getting this part right is essential to repeat business and referrals, so let’s take a closer look.
What’s an example of a good experience being elevated to a great one? Hyken cites a personal example of having ordered audio equipment an online specialist. He explains, “A week after I received the items, [the] salesperson called me to make sure they were working and confirm that I was happy with my purchase.” Hyken tells us that simply receiving his order in a day or two would have been a good experience, but, “What elevated it to a great experience was the less-than-one-minute phone call I received…” Such a simple act shows that he was cared about as a customer. —He compares this to a good doctor who makes you well, versus a great doctor who not only makes you well but also calls you the next day to see how you’re doing.
Doing what you’re expected to do, what you’re paid to do, is indeed the bare minimum. No one would choose to go to a nice doctor who is otherwise terrible at his or her job. The same is true in other industries: if your products are terrible, no one will care how kind the employees are.
But once you’ve cleared the hurdle of delivering on the promise of quality products, the next step to differentiate your business from the competition is how you make your customers feel when they shop with you. “If you go to a restaurant that has the most delicious food, but the service is outright terrible, you wouldn’t refer to that as a great experience.” Indeed, “you would be reluctant to go back.” So yes, a restauranteur has to deliver good food, but he or she also has to treat the diners well.
Consider your own business: in what way can you communicate to your customers how much you value the patronage? There isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all piece of advice to give here, as it doesn’t make sense, say, for a restaurant to call diners the next day to see how their meals are sitting with them! But even in an industry where you don’t capture contact information, you still have opportunities to provide a superior customer experience every time you interact with them with high-quality customer service. Even beyond politeness and courtesy, are there other steps you could take that would demonstrate your appreciation for their business?
Need help? The Brandt Group specializes in maximizing the customer experience through customer-service improving tools like mystery shops and staff training. More than that, we’re also a consultancy, your partner in figuring out how to take your company to the next level. Let’s put our heads together and brainstorm your next big move. Ready to get started?
