How Old-Fashioned Customer Service Creates Brand Fanatics

We’ve all heard the age-old saying, “The Customer is Always Right” but, how important is customer service today? I believe it is imperative! While companies are doing a good job of monitoring unhappy or extremely excited customers via Twitter, Facebook, etc. (which is key and has to be done), how are companies doing on their old-fashioned customer service in-store or offline? My experience is that a few brands are doing a fantastic job and the rest leave much to be desired. 

When I think of great examples of good customer service I often think of my experiences at Nordstrom, Honda and, most recently, Chick-fil-A.  When going to grab a quick bite (I know, fast food is bad for me but when in a major pinch it works) at Chick-fil-A, I was reminded of how important the complete brand experience is.  While now we don’t expect much from companies in the way of great customer service, especially fast-food chains, we should!

When a company gets it right it truly makes an impression. When at the window to pay for my chicken sandwich, the employee saw that my new puppy was in the back seat.  She then asked me, “Would you like a milk bone for your puppy?” which I thought was incredible in itself.  Dog treats at a fast-food restaurant? How clever! But, then she takes it to the next level by offering me a hand cleanser wipe to clean my hands after giving the treat to my pup, without me even asking. 

This may sound simple but, it’s thinking five steps ahead of your customer that makes an impression.  It’s asking yourself, what would shock and surprise my customer in such a way that they can’t stop talking about me? What would create such a positive impression with my customer that they would want to keep buying my products just because of their experience?  It doesn’t take much – especially when your competitors are probably doing a subpar job in this area. 

So, take a step back and think about your brand experience.  You don’t have to have a restaurant, retail store or car dealership to offer your customer an amazing experience.  If you’re a marketing company, for example, do you send clients something fun on their birthday? Or, do you remember their anniversary?

What can you do to create brand fanatics for your organization?

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