It’s the small things that make a customer feel special. It’s the tiny additions that you add to your services or products that make your business stand out. It’s the tone of your voice over the phone when discussing business with a client that makes them remember the experience. These small, seemingly inconsequential things can make the difference between a ho-hum experience and a truly memorable one.
It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have – bricks and mortar or completely online, finding ways to make your customers’ experiences memorable is invaluable. Customers can have short memories, but you can make it longer by doing something that separates you from other businesses.
Customer Is King
If you can make your customer feel like a king or queen while you’re working with them, they’ll come back. You can do this either in person or at a distance. Take notes when you are talking to them; most customers will mention their kids, their family, and other events. If you can drop them a note about a special day or event in their life, they’re going to remember you and feel appreciated.
Try to Always Say Yes
While there are times when you simply cannot deliver what your customer wants, you can still turn the no into a yes. Instead of saying “no, I can’t do that” say “I know someone who can do that for you.” Keep a list of contacts that offer different services or products from you so that you can offer the information to your customers. If you’re not sure, take a break, tell the client you will do some research and get back to them within a specific time frame.
Small Details Matter
If you sell a product that you have to mail, wrap it in an extra special way. If you are a service provider, go a little over the requirements each time you do something for your client. If you notice something that needs to be done which only takes a couple of minutes and that will mean the world to your client, do it. Tell them you threw that extra in, and they’ll remember you always.
Empower Others
If you have employees or contractors who work directly with your clients, empower them with a certain dollar amount to reward good customers with nice little extras. Whether it’s an extra chocolate on their pillow, or throwing in a free eReport on a big order, these little things matter.
Call Out Awesome Customers
If you have a really awesome customer, you can call them out on social media. Mention them by name, and link to them. Say why they are awesome, and they will appreciate the shout out.
Listen to Your Customers
Provide a place, whether in person or online, where they can talk to you and your contractors or employees about your products and services. It could be a message board, a Facebook Group, a Yahoo Group, or other avenue. As long as it’s a safe place for them to talk and get answers, it will make them feel extra cared for and they will remember you.
No matter how you go about it, it’s important to find ways to go the extra mile to make your customers remember you. You don’t have to wait until they have a problem to address an issue or make them feel special. You can make them feel special every single time you interact with them.