Customer Service Is Dead!
Transcript:
I’m an 80’s kid. Big hair. Guess jeans. Converse high tops. And malls. In my day (before we could legally drive), going to the mall was THE thing to do on a Friday or Saturday night. Our parents would drop us off at a designated door, sternly tell us to be at that same door at 9:00, and then off we’d go walking around the mall, going into Spencer’s and Hastings (I still remember when CD’s came out!), and hanging out in groups gossiping about the mean girls and sharing who we had crushes on. It was so much fun!
I’ll never forget one weekend, I got confused on which door my dad dropped me off at. I went to the wrong side (this was before cell phones) and waited and waited and waited. I thought my dad forgot about me. All my friends were gone, and the parking lot was empty except for the employees closing up their stores. What made it worse is that I had a blossoming interest in true crime and here I was, a thirteen-year-old girl, standing by myself outside an empty mall at night. Just when I was about to panic, my dad comes around the corner looking extremely worried and relieved! I never forgot which door I was dropped off at from that point on.
In my dad’s generation, there was no such thing as a mall or even a strip mall. It was the small-town shop owner. Bob the Butcher. Judy the Hair Dresser. Flo the Waitress at your local diner owned by Ed whose dad owned it before him. During that generation, word of mouth could make or break a business. If Bob didn’t treat you well, you’d give your business to Rob’s butcher shop and then tell all of your friends how Bob treated you. In fact, Rob could sell you inferior cuts of beef but you liked Rob and Rob seemed to like you so you were willing to pay more for an inferior product. If Bob continued treating his customers wrong, he’d eventually have to close up shop. The only exception was maybe Bob was the only butcher in town and folks had to put up with him. And then came malls. And after that came big box stores and huge corporations.
How business was done changed drastically. You were no longer a valued customer in a small-town; you became an impersonal number who was no longer valued because there was another number waiting to replace you. No longer was the customer always right (which we know isn’t the case but the thought emphasized an attitude to make customer service priority). One eight hundred numbers replaced local numbers and automated responses replaced humans when you called with a question or a problem. And then Google, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more came on the scene once again changing everything!
Now when you call a phone company or cable company and they treat you bad, you can leave a review on Google telling everyone how you were treated. Now when your local insurance agency or hair dresser does a good job, you can leave a review and then open your Facebook app on your phone and share your experience on Facebook with all of your friends and family in seconds. Cell phones also empowered us to capture these experiences in real time, post them, and spread the word—good or bad.
You know the saying, “What goes around comes around?” This is what’s happening in our time. The small-town shop owner paradigm is back on steroids with social media and Google but with one caveat—good customer service is NOT enough anymore. Platinum touch is a must because your “small town” now consists of millions of shop owners competing for your customers, which leads me to another lost reality that is now coming back—going the extra mile.
When I started my business, I asked my grandpa for advice. He’d been a business owner of several different types of businesses. He was also one of the smartest people I knew. He told me to make sure I do one thing—go the extra mile. He said, “I remember when I was a kid and we’d go to town once a month. It was a big deal because we lived on a farm and going to town was an all day event. We’d get on our Sunday best and off we’d go. We’d go to the local store first and there’d be candy jars on the counter. And the owner of the shop would let each of us kids pick out a candy for free. No one does that anymore.”
He missed the days where he felt valued and important. He missed the days when people were intentionally kinder.
That was 1998, and I took his advice to heart. I always went the extra mile with my clients. Giving them valuable services and either doing more than asked or charging less than my work was worth sometimes even free. But, again, that’s not enough today. You and I must go beyond typical customer service. And don’t think this doesn’t apply to you if you’re a brick and mortar store. You’re even more affected by social media and Google!
What Platinum Touch Looks Like
Here’s my favorite example of platinum touch from Simon T. Bailey. Simon travels a lot as a consultant to major corporations like Chic-Fa-Le and as a sought-after speaker. During one of his trips, his luggage was lost leaving him with only the clothes on his back, which were not suitable for his meeting early the next morning. He always shops at Nordstrom’s and called before they closed explaining the situation, which was not only was his luggage lost but his first meeting was before they opened . Plus he couldn’t get there before they closed. They told him to come in before his meeting, and they’d have several options waiting for him.
He arrived at Nordstrom’s the next morning (BEFORE they even opened) and saw three staff members waiting for him with several outfits, including socks, shoes, and ties, that were perfectly matched to his style! He was stunned. Not only did they open early just for him, but they knew what he liked. How? The manager explained that he went to Simon’s Instagram and saw how Simon liked to dress. That, ladies and gentlemen, is platinum touch.
Platinum touch is an experience that intensely and extravagantly satisfies your customers’ needs. It boldly proclaims how important your customers are to you. It’s going beyond the extra mile and clearly communicating significance and value to every one of your customers as unique individuals. Platinum touch can be generalized and personal. It requires time and paying attention, but it’s worth it. The ROI is incalculable because you’ll definitely increase your bottom line but making someone feel special is not something you can put a number on.
Recently, one of my clients shared his plan of creating a “valet” position where this person’s only job would be applying the finishing touches that wow the customer, creates a positive point of contact with someone who’s only job is to make them happy, and communicates how important each customer is! Not all of us can hire someone just for that. But we can create a platinum touch experience.
Here are some general suggestions:
Out of the blue for no reason at all, let them know that this month’s work was on you and cancel out their invoice.
Pay attention to life events, hobbies, pain points, and areas they want to grow personally and professionally. If you hear of an event like a concert or seminar you know they’d like, buy them a couple of tickets or invite them to attend the seminar with you. Or maybe you come across an article or YouTube that you know they’d like. Send it to them. Shoot an email or call them to see how their mother is doing after her surgery or how their son did at his first baseball game or day of school. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of all of this data and update as needed.
Find a way to save them money. This is great for insurance agencies. Recently, a client of mine wanted to hire me for private coaching of a new employee after I finished up coaching a previous new hire. I finished early with the current employee saving him money and then let him know I just didn’t think the new hire needed me. If he saw things I needed to coach the new hire on later, I’d be happy to, but I just didn’t think she needed it, and it’d be a waste of his hard earned money. He greatly appreciated it and knows I have his back. He’s not a paycheck to me. He’s important.
A gift card or gift specific to something they love like unique coffee, cuisine, etc.
A thank you card out of the blue for no reason at all to tell them how much you appreciate them in specific ways. Including a gift card in there to a local restaurant or coffee shop is even better.
Going out of your way to meet them before you open or after you close if possible (don’t let people dictate your schedule though; use wisdom).
Being kind and offering kind words, especially if they’re going through a rough time. Sometimes a hug (if you have permission) or an understanding nod and listening ear is all that’s needed.
There are so many things you can do. The sky’s the limit. Use your imagination. How would you want to be treated as a customer? What would WOW you? What would be needed to transform a transaction into an experience? If you truly care about your client, doing such things will be natural, and you’ll enjoy thinking of new ways to wow your customers. If you’ve been more focused on your bottom line and the everyday operations of your business, you need to shift now! I guarantee that by doing these things, your clients will become fans that happily and without prompting, leave Google reviews and tell all of their friends on social media and in real life how amazing you are!