September 21, 2021
It’s a Friday night on the town. You’ve scanned Google reviews and online menus feverishly, craving a meal you can rave about to all your coworkers come Monday. You flip a coin to decide where to spend your hard-earned cash. It comes down to two contenders: the hole-in-the-wall place that you’ve heard about through the grapevine, or the upscale restaurant with valet parking, candles at each table, and napkins folded into swans. Which place will get your repeat business? Simple. The one that prioritizes you. Every go-to spot has that special ingredient that goes beyond first impressions. Fancy napkins alone won’t make that revolving door go.
Businesses that stand the test of time put customer satisfaction at the heart of everything they do. Because having happy customers truly is the best marketing.
Dan Gingiss knows a thing or two about customer experience. With 20 years of customer experience under his belt, he’s a pro at getting the job done, no matter what industry or what the customer wants. Author of The Experience Maker: How To Create Remarkable Experiences Customers Can’t Wait To Share he teaches people how to be W.I.S.E: Witty, Immersive, Shareable, and Extraordinary. If you want to learn how to keep current customers, bring in new ones by the boatload, and stand out from your competition, then keep reading.
Three takeaways from my conversion with Dan Gingiss
Go the extra mile to make your customers’ experience a positive one. “Right out of college, I worked for a collectibles company. There was a woman that somehow got past customer service to my desk in product management. It was December 23rd, and she was upset that the product that she had ordered hadn’t arrived for Christmas. I just did what came naturally to me, which was to tell her Christmas is not going to be ruined on my account. I took down her name, address, and the product she wanted. I hung up the phone, went to the warehouse, and picked the product myself. I packed it up, sealed it, and brought it to FedEx personally. I don’t know if I broke any company rules, but I knew that was the best thing to do for the customer.”
Don’t take current customers for granted. “Don’t worry so much about finding that next viral video or your social media campaign. Focus on your existing customers, and make them happy that they’re spending money with you. Get them talking about your brand because the holy grail of marketing is word of mouth.”
Forget about getting VIP treatment. Meet customers where they are to find out what’s really happening behind the scenes. “What shocked me in corporate America was how employees really had no idea how their own company worked. You’re never going to really understand the customer experience until you become a customer of your own business.”
Want to dig your heels in deeper to Dan’s message and “W.I.S.E” up? Watch our conversation to come away with even more gems from Dan about creating unforgettable customer experiences.
