Everything about a brand plays a vital role in shaping the customer’s experience. If you want to create lifelong customers, you have to first focus on the experience you’re delivering and find ways to make the experience you deliver stand out.
According to keynote speaker Jay Baer, 80% of companies say they deliver exceptional customer service – only 8% of their customers agree.
Shocking statistic, right? Customers want the same things they have always wanted, to feel and be taken care of. The world has changed in the sense that consumers now make the vast majority of their buying decisions based off of conversations they’ve had with people they know (and trust). The challenge today is that instead of writing a letter, sending an email, or picking up the phone to address a complaint or unpleasurable experience, consumers go straight to social media.
Keynote speaker Ted Wright says, “Eight out of ten people that you talk to say their number one source of information in the buying process is conversation with their friends.” The big question to ask here is, what experience do your customers have when doing business with you – and what experience do you want them to tell others about?
Baer adds that by 2020, the majority of customer purchase decisions will be based not on price, not on availability, by on customer experience. Focusing on customer experience is one of the most important investments a brand can make in today’s competitive world. It is up to the brand to create pleasurable, talkable customer experiences so that customers genuinely want to share their experience with others.
Ritz Carlton Hotels are known for their “gold standard” when it comes to customer experiences. Keynote speaker Steve Gutzler presented at their customer service leadership academy and learned that Ritz Carlton employees not only complete 250 hours of personal development training per year, but they are equipped to handle any obstacle or customer complaint possible. Through his work with them, Gutzler recognized how the well-known brand empowers their staff (from housekeeping to management). Every employee is allowed to spend up to $2,000 per day, per guest, to resolve a guest’s problems without seeking permission from management. All employees master the art of serving guests at the highest level and that is due to the level of training they receive.
A positive customer experience not only results in making your customer happy, but it can also lead to additional revenue.
Creating a great customer experience takes time and effort, but working to improve customer experience is the first step to change. The impression you leave with your customer will determine how they think and feel about your brand every time they do business with you. Customers are your best resource for growing your brand awareness because their conversations with friends and family are more reliable than your marketing. As a company, take your customers feedback seriously and become laser focused around the experience you deliver. How people feel about your brand and what they tell others directly impacts the growth and success of your business.
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