Customers are smarter than ever with higher expectations which look set to continue to rise. As brands and business our challenge isn’t just to meet these rising expectations but to continue to exceed them.
Early this week we saw how engaged and happy employees are a key component to delivering an exceptional service. Now it’s time to see how we can deliver the elusive ‘wow’ factor when it comes to customer experience.
Wowing customers is about surprising them, giving them something they weren’t expecting but doing it in an honest, endearing and highly-personable way. Pret a Manger do this by empowering their employees to give away free food or coffee to customers they like. It’s an alternative to a loyalty card system and will bring a smile to the face every single time.
By making your customers feel special, loved and valued you’ll turn a purchase into an investment, you’ll connect with their emotions and you’ll be ensuring future success for your business.
Retailers, restaurants, bars and hotels all exist in highly competitive industries where the quality of the end product is, among the best examples, consistently high. That’s why the point of difference and the competitive edge comes from creating.
Writing in the Huffington Post, author and keynote speaker Ted Rubin, says: “Is engineering a great customer experience easy to do? No. But if you want to be more than just another competitor in your niche and develop relationships with your customers that result in loyalty and advocacy, it’s absolutely necessary.”
It might not be easy to do but we’ve put together seven steps to help you put the best foot forward when it comes to delivering a knock-out customer experience.
Be simple
We know only too well what a precious commodity time is. In fact, the biggest area of feedback from our customers is how much time they save when they start using Quinyx. With time in such short supply, it’s imperative to keep things simple for your customers. This includes everything from your offering, to your website, to the main benefits your customers will see from using your product. By keeping your offering and your messaging streamlined and simple, you’ll be making life easier for your customers and saving them the time of having to think too hard.
Be relevant
Being relevant is all about giving the customer what they want or need. When it comes to marketing, it’s about putting the right message in front of the right people. When it comes to support, it’s about making sure your customers find the answer to their problem in the fewest steps with the least hassle. Stay relevant to your customers by knowing what they want and making sure it’s delivered.
Be inspiring
Inspire your customers by being more than the sum of your parts. Whether it’s through helping others, having high aspirations or aiming to achieve something no one ever has before, every company possesses the ability to inspire their customers. From Tesla making its patents open-source, to Starbucks funding college education for its employees, there are countless ways businesses can inspire their customers. On a more practical level, Urban Guild, who use Quinyx as their workforce management solution, run a ‘Hug Club’ as their loyalty card scheme. It’s a fun and innovative to drive repeat business and their customers love it.
Be authentic
Authenticity is the most important factor in any relationship. The savvy-customer can spot false promises from a mile away. Being authentic is about being true to yourself, your values and your vision. And an authentic experience in turn becomes a meaningful experience.
Be personal
The volume of data companies have at their disposal is helping shape and inform the way we interact and engage with our customers. Use this data to deliver a personalised experience to your customer. Do this at the same time as treating your customers like people and not another statistic and it will go a long way to securing advocacy and loyalty.
Be timely
Customers expect swift responses to everything from calls and emails to tweets and Facebook messages. Respond quickly (and personably as above) to make sure your customers are getting what they want as well as knowing they are being listened to and responded to. In the Healthcare industry, responding to customers needs by getting the right people to the right place at the right time is crucial, not just in ensuring the customer receives the right service, but in guaranteeing the patient receives the right level of care. This is why healthcare recruitment specialists, Vetro Recruitment, are using Quinyx to dramatically increase their response time.
Be knowledgeable
Every employee should strive to know your business inside out and it’s the job of the business leaders to make sure this happens. Knowledgeable staff are an invaluable asset and will ensure customer experience always goes the extra mile. Through using Quinyx, world renowned fashion store GANT has been able to free up the time of its most knowledgeable and experienced staff meaning they are able deliver a better customer experience.
In order for all of the above to happen, it’s essential to empower your employees by creating a culture which values their enjoyment and happiness. This lays the foundation for your employees to deliver the ‘wow’ factor to your customers every single time.
By doing this, and by embracing solutions like Quinyx which improve the experience of both customers and employees, forward-thinking businesses like Naked Juicebar, GANT and Gudrun Sjödén are securing long-term success.
Download our free guide to find out more on how you can boost your workforce and business with a WFM app.
