Creating a Legendary Customer Experience

It's a daunting task providing your client-facing team members all the necessary tools to successfully provide your customers with a genuinely legendary customer experience. From choosing the most effective training program to developing standards of work to ensure that every customer has a positive experience, makes the task seem like reaching the top of Mount Everest, many try and few succeed. What if you were able to build an escalator to the top of the mountain? Doing so may be easier than you might think.

Improving your tone and adjusting your body language is the biggest step in creating a legendary customer experience. Almost 90% of a conversation is conveyed through these two parts. If you are taking care of a customer but come across as harsh and indifferent, you may have provided that customer good service but an awful customer experience. I always suggest using the CARE method, Communicated Authenticity, Regard, and Empathy.

• Communicated Authenticity- Use tone and body language to show an genuine authentic interest in your customer's needs. This step is established by using active listening skills and conveying it through your body language and tone. I always lean into my conversations, maintain an open and inviting stance, and keep my tone upbeat by smiling throughout the conversation.

• Regard- "Providing an attention to or concern for something." Regard is an important tool that is shown through active listening. Actively listen to the issue or customer's needs, keep your body language positive throughout the conversation, no matter what. A nodding no or a defiant frown could potentially turn a customer's perspective of you quickly south.

• Empathy- Showing a genuine interest in your customer's experience, needs, issues, and concerns is the final step in the CARE method. Being able to relate with your client and project any potential issues or concerns then addressing them is a valuable skill for any person with customers. Delivering empathy can be a difficult skill to learn, but the benefits are well worth the practice.

Today's modern customer is more knowledgeable and has more choices for their solutions. The biggest reason customers quit from a company they do business with is an attitude of indifference from an employee(s). This can be traced back to the employee(s) providing good customer service, but a below average customer experience.

Overall, more businesses these days look for ways to reduce costs throughout the company rather than addressing the bigger issue, creating a legendary customer experience in an effort to retain customers. The age old saying that, "You have to spend money to make money" still rings true to this day. Developing yourself, coworkers, and employees to improve the customer experience in the modern world is key to growth and success.