Customer service builds customer loyalty

Micah Solomon

01/15/2011

When I walk into the Renaissance Providence Hotel, part of the fun is the slightly freaky delight of being encased in a now-glorious property so recently known only as a monumental (in both senses of the word) graffiti magnet.
But what makes me actually return to the hotel? The assistance of people like Sarah German, an all-around friendly and über-competent soul there, and the fantastic front-desk staff of Emily Daily and company.
Stepping into Min Hai Vietnamese restaurant in Cranston, the marinated beef is a dish beyond reproach – in fact, it’s one of the most memorable dishes at any price point you are ever likely to encounter. But what ensures that this off-the-track restaurant is a required stop on every visit to Providence? Owner Minh Huynh and his family’s beyond-warm welcome. We are remembered. And acknowledged. And even, it seems, sincerely missed.
In these still-shaky economic times, it’s important to find a way to escape commodity-style pricing wars and strengthen the marketing reach of your company. The most reliable and affordable way to achieve both these goals is by building a strong personal bond with your customers.
Loyal customers see you as more valuable than a mere commodity, and can serve you as a powerful marketing arm, going out of their way to promote and defend your company online and off – for free. Just consider the power of satisfied customers spreading the story of unassumingly delicious Min Hai up and down the East Coast – with no additional marketing effort required on the restaurant’s part.
Here are six-and-a-half things you can do that will set the stage for building true, bankable customer loyalty – that will help you to institutionalize a Min Hai experience, an Emily-and-Sarah-and-team-at-the-Renaissance experience, and scale it to fit your business. • Completely nail your hellos and goodbyes. Customers remember the first and last minutes of a service encounter much more vividly – and for much longer – than all the rest of it, due to the way human memory works. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well-engineered.
• Strive to remember each returning customer. Whatever your business – and no matter how large, work to achieve the effectiveness of a beloved bartender, doorman, or hairstylist – the kind who would know Bob’s preferences, the name of Bob’s pet, when Bob was there last. Superb client-tracking systems – and an attentive staff – can create an “at home” feeling in your customers – regardless of the size and price point of your business, and whether it exists online or off.
• Anticipate customer wishes. When a customer’s wish is met before the wish has been expressed, it sends the message that you care about the customer as an individual. This may seem like it requires wizard-like knowledge, but in essence it is simply founded on paying attention and knowing your customers. And it’s well-worth the effort. The cared-for feeling a customer gets when her wishes are anticipated is where you will generate the fiercest loyalty.
• The language you use matters. Don’t leave it up to chance. Develop and rehearse a list of vocabulary words and expressions that fit your business brand perfectly. For example, the expression “no worries” sounds fine if a clerk at a Portland, Ore., audio store says it, but would be exceedingly off-brand for the concierge at Cartier in Milan. Equally important, search and destroy any vocabulary words that could hurt customer feelings. For example, instead of telling a customer, “You owe us,” try “Our records seem to show a balance.” • Do the hustle. Modern customers expect speedier service than did any generation before them. Not only speedier than their parents expected, but even than they themselves expected this time last year! In this age of iPhones and Droids and Amazon.com, you may as well not deliver your product or service if you’re going to deliver it late.
• Be patient when filling positions. In an organization aiming for superb service, a single disagreeable or unresponsive team member can erode customer loyalty and team morale. That is why it can be better to leave a position unfilled rather than rushing to hire someone unsuitable. Speaking more generally: Customer excellence is most fully achieved once you become expert at recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating and reinforcing the efforts of service personnel.
• Bonus. An online essential: Make sure your personality – your humanity – shows through in every encounter, online as well as off.
Example No. 1: Why send e-mails to customers from a “Please-do-not-reply-to-this!” address. What do you think will happen if the customer does reply, blow up your server? Invite the customer/recipients, even of your mass e-mails, to respond directly. And, of course, go ahead and answer those replies when they come.
Example No. 2: Instead of a Web-based chat window that blandly announces, “You are now chatting with Jane,” consider trying “You are now chatting with Jane Chang-Katzenberg.” The customers will treat your “Jane” better, they will take her advice more seriously, and they will be more likely to want a committed customer relationship with her company. •

Micah Solomon is co-author of the recent bestseller “Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization.”

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