Next February I am moderating a panel at the USBevX in Washington DC. The panel is about providing a quality experience, so I started thinking about what providing customers with a quality experience means. Of course there are almost as many different answers as there are customers, though there are definitely some overlaps.
Most companies work hard to create a quality product or service and that’s very important. Equally important is providing a quality experience for customers when they come to your place of business, call you on the phone, email or text you. Each of these experiences can create positive or negative feelings with your customer. So let’s go for the positive feelings.
The big question is, what can you do to make your customers feel that they have had a quality experience. Remember that people buy because they feel not because they think so getting them involved is step one.
- Emotion: Create an emotional connection with your customers before you start giving them the facts. Greet them with a smile and if you have the option to do so, come out from behind a counter and walk towards them.
- Engage: Let customers know that they are important to you. A smile can create engagement very easily.
- Explain: Anything the customer doesn’t understand without making the customer feel that it’s a burden for you to do so. It doesn’t matter how simple you think it is, they may not know.
- Enthusiastic: Be upbeat and ready to discover what they want (rather than what you want to tell them).
- Effective: Be aware of a customer’s time constraints, needs and wants. Ask them how you can help.
- Empathy: Assist in resolving any problems customers may have experienced and ensure that your customer is completely satisfied.
- Experience: Your goal is to make it the best experience you can for each, individual customer.
In short, do Everything you can to make the customer feel welcome, important and liked. Creating these feelings will pay dividends with more repeat customers and bigger sales. You might even make some new friends along the way.
A tip of the glass from me to you
E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct Marketing
A recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
