Good old fashioned customer service is making a massive comeback with more and more consumers demanding they are treated with love and some level of respect. My experience as a customer is what is paying your bills.

We’ve seen the demise in many retail outlets over the past years, much of which I would argue, was due to poor customer service. Staff that are too busy on their phones, chatting to each other or simply have no product knowledge are way too common.

You ask any customer facing company what they excel at and they will say ‘customer service’.  And the reality is often very different. These companies will spend millions on marketing then fail at the most basic of delivery when it comes to creating a great customer experience. (hello Qantas, Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Foxtel to name a few).

The thing is, that your customer experience IS marketing. It is that first impression, the first moment I have to buy from you. This extends to every part of your business. From an unanswered phone call or email, to a delivery that is not correct to your post sale care.

However, creating an awesome customer experience is a massively missed opportunity, and could be your company’s ultimate differentiator. It is one thing that cannot be copied.

This can be done by a business of any size. From the solo operator, to the ecomm store to the big end of town. The experience a client has with a brand starts from their first interaction. Here are a few examples where the opportunity to create some WOW is missed.

 

Let’s use a simple scenario like a phone call to your business.

In many cases this will be what happens. The phone takes forever to be answered, then you are on hold to old fashioned pipe music then either transferred to someone else, hung up on or barely given an answer to your question.

Instead, use your brand culture and personality to create a wow experience. Make it a policy that the phone gets answered in 3 rings. Have a clever greeting that impacts your brand voice, ditch the old fashion music for something funkier or relevant to your audience and go above and beyond when answering their question. All of which costs nothing to do

When you put a customer on hold forever that is marketing.

When you don’t respond to an email they have sent, that is marketing.

When you are late paying an invoice, that is marketing.

Marketing is about touch points and first impressions. It is not just about Facebook ads, sending a monthly newsletter or creating a fancy video.

Here’s an example from one of my experiences of this. The power of a simple handwritten note cannot be denied. I was super impressed to receive this lovely note with my delivery of my new pillows this week. This is how you create loyalty and will always be far more affective than any Facebook ad. KindlyGoods have nailed creating a WOW customer experience. (Plus they donate 50% of profit to support vulnerable women – double wow).

 

So, when you are planning your marketing, take a wider approach and remember that everything you do in your business is marketing.

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