Ultimately, the end goal is to create an experience for your customers that is unique from your competition and far surpasses the expectations of the customer.
But while many business leaders may know and understand this concept, it's an entirely different concept when trying to map it out and implement.
Things to consider while designing and creating the ultimate customer experience...
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1. What does the ideal experience look and feel like to your customers?
Often, business leaders know what THEY'D like it to be, but fail to consider what the CUSTOMER wants it to be. Remember, the most important person in your business is the customer. Get out of your own way and focus on what the paying customer needs and wants.
2. Mindset Matters (This one is the most important)
The ultimate customer experience focuses on the mindset of SERVICE. Businesses need to be sure that everything that is said and done for the customer is done with the intent to give the customer extraordinary service. Most companies today simply "process" their customers through their systems. But "serving" your customers is a mindset of treating them well, making them feel special, engaging with them, to do what's right, to work in the customer's best interest.
This mindset point is where most companies fail today. Understanding this, this is why and where your company can thrive. Be sure that leadership not only embraces this concept, but shares it with the rest of the staff at all levels. Now, to take it one step further, the successful leaders will adopt this mindset of service to their internal customers as well.
As soon as your staff is hired into your business, you need to start ingraining the culture and service mindset into their minds. Once they feel it and embrace the service culture and mindset, they'll be much more likely to deliver it.
3. Empower Your Team to Deliver the Ideal Experience
Considering that you've done your due diligence and hired only those with a customer focused mindset, the next step is to train and empower your team to deliver that ideal experience to the customer. We live in a society where leadership still has an issue with letting staff think for themselves and make decisions.
Be sure to train the best service experience desired. Let your staff know what the service expectations are for the company as a whole and how they fit into that ideal.
Once they know what the expectations are and have the knowledge on how to deliver it, then set them free to make the best decisions for the customer using their own best judgement.
This pays off in many ways. Your customers get immediate results in all aspects of the interaction without waiting for management approval. Your staff feels empowered and comes to act in the best interest of everyone as if they owned the company themselves. They are much more likely to make the right decision for everyone involved.
Learn more about Kristina Evey and her work at www.kristinaevey.com