The most successful
businesses have discovered a formula that goes beyond product and service. Their business
is providing delight to their customers by understanding their specific personal
interests, anticipating their needs, exceeding their expectations, and making every moment
and aspect of the relationship a pleasant -- or better yet, an exhilarating -- experience.
As one ecstatic customer
recently wrote to the president of an audio video retailer in Cleveland, Ohio after coming
back for his third major purchase, "It is truly a pleasure to walk into a store where
the people know your name, know your style, your tastes and your expectations."
When a company communicates
an enthusiasm for doing business and a love of service, clients/customers tend to
reciprocate the feeling. If your clients/customers are satisfied with the service they
receive from your company, that is a good place to start, but it's just the beginning of
the path at the foot of the mountain. These days, it takes a lot more than satisfaction to
stand out from the pack and keep clients/customers eagerly coming back for more.
"We sometimes forget we
are selling entertainment," says a retailer in Amarillo, Texas. "The emotional
end of the business needs lots of attention. We must be exuberant and communicate this
enthusiasm to the customer. Many times we tend to get lost in the business aspects and
forget why people are coming to us."
Another retailer in Raleigh,
North Carolina understands the relationship between enjoyment and achievement. Talking to
him, you can see that he enjoys what he does. He attributes his success to an incessant
focus on the value of customer service. "Customers are our best friends. They are
always right. You have to try to exceed their expectations. Its really fun to try."
Among other things, he sends fruit baskets to customers who buy big systems. Since he
founded his company in 1978, he has never had a down year. Sales were up 25% in 1995 and
another 34% in 1996. His profits are strong too.
YOUR COMPANY:
-How can you provide real customer delight in your company?
-What marketing, sales,
and customer support changes can you make to create customer delight?
-How can you make your
people happier, so that they in turn can make the client/customer happier?
For additional
Growth Online thoughts about a company's commitment to the value of customer delight,
click
here.
