Participating in a twitter chat about customer service, someone with The Ritz-Carlton wrote:
Hmm… “customer service is at the core of who we are.”
What company doesn’t say that? I bet yours does. But do you deliver? Do you over-deliver? Consistently?
Answer honestly. Now, think of the companies you know that actually do over-deliver consistently. Really… write them down.
Want to join them? Ritz gives you the secret in the second part of their tweet.
“Every stage of the guest journey provides beautiful engagement opportunities, before, during, after”
Okay, maybe their language is a little too woo for you, but it still provides the key to unlocking shareworthy service systems.
Deconstruct your company’s stages of the journey.
What are your company’s stages?
Before: From the potential customer’s complete and utter unawareness of you through the first time money changes hands, what are the touch points involved? What are you saying and doing that reinforces your company’s values? What are your potential customer’s friends telling her about their own experiences with your company. Did you deliver an experience to them worth talking about? In a good way?
During: When customer engagement’s at its most visceral. From the moment they pull into your parking lot or driveway, deconstruct each interaction along the way. How can you refine and systematize them and fill each interaction with surprise and delight? List them.
After: Here may be the greatest opportunity of all. What are your follow up plans to continue the conversation after someone’s given you their initial business? What can you do for your one-time customers to make them customers for life?
Break down every stage of your customer’s journey, refine them, fill them with delight, and soon you, too, will be putting on the Ritz.
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