Delighting the customer

 Your Fast Guide to Creating Customer Delight

Customers are an organisation's biggest asset. There's much written and spoken about customer care, customer service, even customer 'delight', but what does it all mean? How does it relate to your business, your people, and most importantly, to your customers.

Andy Hanselman, a Partner at Hallmarks Business Development offers a few tips to help you look at your own business, and identify some steps to improve the service you give to your customers.

Step 1
Ask yourself "How easy are we to buy from and deal with?" So many businesses don't even get the basics right: telephones that aren't answered properly (some not even answered!), sales people not trained (or even interested!), people and systems that stop customers getting what they want. We call them 'Sales Prevention Officers' … they lurk throughout the business … who, what and where are yours?

Step 2
Eliminate your Sales Prevention Officers: No, don't fire your receptionist! Too often they are the very ones dealing with the consequences of your real Sales Prevention Officers. Investigate and find out what's preventing your customers from getting what they want. Ask your frontline people, "What causes Sales Prevention Officers in our business? Look in the mirror, too … have you ever refused a call with "tell them I'm not in"?

Step 3
Get feedback from your customers: Ask them "What lets us down?" "How could we improve?" "What irritates or annoys you about us?" "How can we exceed your expectations?" Email them, call them, visit them. Find out what they really think about you.

Step 4
Act on the feedback! (no explanation needed here!)

Step 5
Identify ways to 'delight' your customers: Not "Have a nice day" or "Missing you already" but surprising customers with the level of service you provide (in a positive way, please!) Customer Delight has a personal touch, it appears spontaneous, and makes customers feel good. Think about 'thank you for your order' notes, 'Welcome' signs in reception, send them articles of interest, anticipate their needs and solve their problems.

Step 6
Reward customer delight: Encourage your people to 'go that extra mile', to generate 'delight' ideas and to create 'raving fans'. What's the reward in your business for 'delighting a customer' … what's the consequence for not.

And finally,

Step 7
Ring up your business and ask for yourself!!! This can be a real eye opener. It's sometimes quite scary!!! In reality it means standing in your own queues, sitting in your own reception, and listening to your own switchboard. Find out what it's like to be a customer, and identify areas for improvement.

The pursuit of customer delight is a constant process … It never ends. After Step 7 go back to Step 1 and start again!

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