Customer Experience Builds Brand Loyalty
Have you planned out your customer’s experience with your business?
How much planning have you really done when it comes to what it is like to do business with you?
For many years I worked as a project manager in the insurance industry. We worked closely with large health insurance carriers supplying complementary insurance products. I remember working on a project where we were analyzing why these large carriers liked doing business with us and what we could improve on.
Over and over we heard, “You have great products. We love your people. But, you make it really hard for us to do business with you.”
Ouch!
You see, we had very rigid processes and they didn’t flow with the healthcare sales process. It made it very hard for their sales people to sell our products. They were constantly frustrated with us and we were frustrated with them.
But having that information on paper, in their own words, launched us into a series of projects to fix our reputation of being “hard to work with.”
What people say about your business can make or break you.
You’ve seen it.
Especially out here on the internet where everyone gets a say and has a forum to share their opinion. When the Negative Nancy train comes to town it seems all of the Nancys find each other and gang up to complain about the same business. (Sorry real Nancys)
Or does that only happen where I live?
They can be brutal!
But is it all their fault?
Is there something that a business can do to proactively ensure a fabulous customer experience?
I say yes. Not only CAN they, but they MUST!
I mean you gotta agree, Chick-fil-a has gotten this right!
It is really hard to complain about them, even when they mess up our order somehow like they did to my friend recently. She got a yogurt parfait when she ordered a fruit cup – but who’s complaining there? We joked that Chick-fil-a must know better and gave her what she really needed.
Am I right?
Why does that happen?
Because Chick-fil-a and many other fabulous businesses put a lot of time, thought, and effort into creating an AMAZING customer experience.
They get everything right better than 90% of the time. Why?
Because it matters to them.
You see, it isn’t just about a great chicken sandwich for them.
It is about YOU – their loyal customer.
From the friendly “Hello” when you walk in the door, to the “It’s my pleasure.” reply when you say “Thank you.”, every moment of your experience with them has been planned on purpose.
So I will ask the question again…
Have you planned out your customer’s experience with your business?
When you actively create your ideal end to end customer experience, you set the stage to create raving fans who will tell their friends about you!
That’s brand loyalty!
This doesn’t happen by accident.
It doesn’t have to take a long time and it can change over time as you learn more about your customers. But, you have got to start somewhere.
Here are some keys to creating an amazing customer experience to get you started:
- When a potential customer firsts views your website, how do you want them to feel? Use the copy on your website to invite them into a conversation with you that shows them that you care about their needs and that you are here to help.
- What do I want them to know first? To make them feel welcome, don’t push a sale on them immediately. Let them know you identify with their needs and explain how you can be their guide in solving their most pressing problem.
- Offer them a drink of water before getting down to business. What do I mean? Make them comfortable with you. Help them by providing content, a free guide or checklist, or a helpful video. Let them know you are happy they are on your site even if they don’t buy anything today.
- Make sure your product or service addresses the problem they have. Don’t waste their time on things that look shiny but don’t matter. Don’t hype things up and under deliver. Promise them a great outcome and deliver a product that does what you say.
Anticipate your customer’s needs, but only after doing the market research that ensures you are addressing a real and pressing need of your ideal client.
Be helpful. Be kind. Enjoy your clients and your work.
And just because I was using Chick-fil-a as an example, I had to share this hilarious video with you! Enjoy!
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