Stop and think of the best customer experience you have had recently- the over-the-top experience that stayed with you.
What do you remember about the experience? Was it the excellent food, the new item you bought or a delivery that went smoothly?
The data tells the story:
- 70% of buying experiences are based solely on how the customer feels they are being treated
- 73% become loyal to a company based on a friendly staff and great service
and my favorite:
- 80% of companies believe they deliver superior customer service…but only 8% of customers said they agree.
It (almost) always comes down to a person. An employee that uses their super powers to provide a memorable customer experience. That intangible feeling that leaves us with a desire for more.
What makes some employees super heroes? Some have the golden touch, but a stand out customer-centric, do-whatever-it-takes attitude doesn’t happen in a vacuum: it comes from companies that train, respect, trust and empower their employees.
Empowered employees are those employees who never utter those detested words “I will have to call a manager” or “please hold while I find someone who can help you” or “I am so sorry for your inconvenience” which is often the prelude to a migraine- mine! Employees who are allowed to make decisions even if that means making mistakes. As the CEO of Bonobos states:”Empowered to take care of customers in the moment.”
THE POWER OF TIME
I was online at a store, waiting to pay for a skirt. There was only one cashier and the person she was helping was arguing over a return. I asked another clerk if they could open a 2nd register, to be told that only the manager could authorize it and she, of course, was on a break. I put down my item as did 4 people behind me.
Empower to take care of customers in the moment: Imagine if this store had empowered their staff to check out their customers on their cell phone or a tablet. She could have walked over to the line and checked out those of us with 1-2 items, while we were waiting. Shorter lines for people with more items, 5 more purchases and 5 happy customers.
Every business can turn their team into customer experience super heroes. It takes a little imagination, a lot of determination and 3 simple steps:
3 STEPS TO EMPOWER YOUR HIDDEN SUPERHEROES:
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