The idea that a business can survive without creating a positive experience for their customers is ridiculous. The Internet and the global economy create choice for the consumer, which means he or she can go anywhere for the product you offer – this is where customer service comes in. The reason you originally get a new customer is because you are offering a product or service that that customer needs. The reason you keep that customer, is because that customer viewed the original purchase as a positive experience and hence keeps coming back.
I go to the same coffee shop every morning. It’s not because of their coffee; I could probably find a better cup somewhere else. The reasons I go there are because they know me by name and provide me with an exceptional amount of service.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to lecture customer service as a new concept. There are literally thousands if not millions of businesses out there who have grasped the concept. No, the concept I am trying to outline in this post is that customer service really starts with a smile.
I want you to stop and think of a good experience you’ve had as a customer that didn’t include a smile. Can you think of one? Even when you’re on the phone, it’s almost as if you can feel a smile through the phone when it’s happening. Nothing says, "Hey, I'm approachable and my product is amazing" like a good ol' fashion smile. People are never intimidated by a person who is smiling! If you’re not convinced that one of the most important things in customer service is the smile, then let me outline a few points:
1. McDonald's (Fortune 500 Company…who doesn’t know McD’s) profits in 2010 were $4.95 Billion, up 5% from 2009. If you take a close look at their menu, you will see that they are giving away smiles for free. Think there’s a connection?
2. The Dalai Lama once said, "If you smile, life becomes sweeter. After all, if I smile at you, you will smile back!" Smiling emits a happy emotion that makes the receiver of the smile happy. As a customer, would you not go to a place that makes you feel happy?
3. Now think of Dirty Harry, he didn't smile. Did it make you want to buy products from him? My thoughts exactly!
You can have all the training in the world for your employees, but if they don’t smile I promise you it won’t matter. If you really want to create an experience for your customers then first thing to do is smile.
Try it out and I bet your customers will keep coming back. :)
If you would like some further reading on the customer experience take a look at the 1999 Harvard article by J. Pine and J. Gilmore: The Experience Economy.
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