One way or the other, we’ve all come across a company’s customer services department. Some companies give customers the highest priority and are also known to remain committed in perfecting their customers’ experience.
Nowadays, companies are going to great lengths to deliver an amazing customer experience. For instance, a lot employ consulting firms to recommend scenario planning and provide rigorous training to their employees. Furthermore, monitoring calls to improve customer satisfaction is now considered standard practise.
That leads us to instinctively ask, is that enough? The short answer is no. Even when the entire process was seamless and the presentation of the service was perfect, internally some of us always give a score of 99.9%. So what makes up that 0.1% and more importantly why does it matter? That single decimal percentage involves a personal touch, spontaneity and going the extra mile(s), which transform a customer’s experience. These are all forms of investment from customer loyalty and retention to free marketing and referrals. Such priceless investments can only benefit a company, and in fact propel it to new heights.
The Ritz-Carlton is famous for its customer services and here’s a glimpse into how serious they take their customers’ experience. A mother and her two children returned home from a few days at The Ritz-Carlton in Florida to discover that her son’s stuffed giraffe, Joshie, had gone missing. The father, who returned from a business trip, assumed the worst for the giraffe but pacified his son by telling him that Joshie was taking a longer vacation. That same night, The Ritz-Carlton called up saying they found him in the laundry. The father told them about the “longer vacation” and asked if they could take a few pictures. The Ladies and Gentlemen at The Ritz-Carlton not only delivered Joshie in a couple of days but also included some branded goodies and a meticulously documented account of his extended stay at the hotel (including making him an honorary part of their staff).
Another telling story comes from Southwest Airlines. A pilot held a departing plane for 12 minutes by personally waiting at the terminal gate so a delayed grandfather would be able to be with his daughter and see his two and half-year-old grandson before being taken off life support. These unexpected acts of special care and attention are what turn ordinary customers into lifetime members.
These two stories lead us to think that it’s not about shifting paradigms, it’s about redefining them.
At NICE Fizzback, we have the necessary tools for you to reach and understand your customer, to improve your customer experience management but it is up to you to bring the sparkle that can unravel the best customer service stories ever.
Adil Ghafoor
For more info on NICE Fizzback please visit www.nice.com/fizzback