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The following are 11 suggested areas for businesses to explore in creating a unique and different customer experience to improve success and profit.
1. Improve Your Internet Presence
The majority of your customers and prospective customers
rely on the information they find on the Internet.
Research shows prospective customers make decisions within the first 7 seconds whether or not to do business with you. Many times, your website is the first exposure people have to you and/or to your business. Potential customers who are not able to find the information they need on a website are ready and willing to move on to a website that does.
To prevent the possible loss of business, empower your website visitors.
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2. Indentify and Understand Customer Touch-Points
If you do nothing else, identify and choreograph the customer experience that you want to deliver. Otherwise, the touch-points will evolve based on operational or financial constraints.
3. Treat Customers Nice
Sadly, a dying method of doing business -- which means an opportunity for you. Chick-fil-A and Ritz Carlton employees respond to customer interactions with "my pleasure."
4. Offer Added Value
Enterprise car rental offers bottles of water to customers waiting in line. Buffalo Wild Wings offers 45-cent wings every Tuesday at most locations.
5. Provide Human Contact
Walmart positions a human greeter at the entry of each store. USAA call center personnel answer promptly and remain on the phone until all business is concluded. Enterprise agents accompany you outside to your car rental.
6. Consider using EDLP
Walmart has successfully used everyday low pricing (EDLP) to expand globally. Costco uses EDLP combined with a membership fee to provide value.
7. Engage the Senses
Starbucks uses freshly brewed coffee to address smell while Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart use free food samples to appeal to taste.
8. Create Your Own Currency
Airline miles have been wildly successful for decades and Kohl's dollars are redeemable during your next visit to Kohl's.
9. Listen and Respond
Use social media to create a dialogue and build relationships with your customers, but don't expect quick results. Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crush It, says most companies act like young men after a first date expecting a quick social media ROI when it's really a long-term engagement leading toward marriage.
10. Make It Easy
Best Buy offers trade-in value to customers for their used electronics, games, and cellular phones to help customers acquire the next generation product.
11. Recover from Disappointments
Turn lemons into lemonade. Trader Joes gladly replaces molded cheese with no questions asked. McCormick & Schmick's is quick to remove an underwhelming appetizer or entree from the bill.
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