Transform Your Customer Experience: 7 Essential Changes You Must Implement Now
As a business owner or business leader one of the main contributions you and your senior team need to make is choosing and implementing strategies that will differentiate your business and allow you to grow revenues and margins faster than your competitors. One example of a powerful strategy that most corporations pay lip service too is service. Creating an outstanding customer experience that creates raving fans and referrals.
As the saying goes, "It's the little things that matter." In both B2C and B2B sectors, as well as in non-profits, paying attention to what Paddi Lund calls Critical Non-Essentials and Will Guidara’s concept of Unreasonable Hospitality can significantly elevate your customer interactions. This is not just about improving satisfaction; it's about creating emotional connections that drive loyalty, referrals, and sustainable growth. Increasing the whole-life value of every customer and reducing the costs of customer acquisition.
Here's 7 main ideas from these two authors that you and your team should strongly consider implementing in 2025.
1. Personalized Greetings: Making Every Customer Feel Special
Personalization is more than just a marketing trend; it’s a fundamental aspect of customer interaction that can make a lasting impression. People love to hear their names more than anything else. Indeed, it’s a key principle from Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. Remembering what they like and other key details makes people feel welcome, appreciated and special - and it doesn’t cost much - with a good CRM system.
CNE Approach: Address customers by name and remember their preferences. For instance, a local coffee shop might remember a regular’s favourite order, enhancing the personal touch. Doing this at scale requires good systems.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Train your staff to engage personally. For example, luxury hotels often train staff to greet guests by name, ensuring they feel valued from the moment they arrive. The welcome screen in your room is another variation on this theme.
By personalizing interactions, businesses can increase customer retention rates by 10-15%, translating to higher profits over time. Make your customer journey frictionless and bespoke for maximum impact.
2. Creating Memorable Moments: The Art of Surprise
The unexpected delight can transform an ordinary experience into an unforgettable one, encouraging customers to share their stories. I have never forgotten a special dinner at The Vineyard where I was presented with a delicious consommé and 3 special bread rolls that I didn’t order. The surprise, the tastes, the “gift” - all showcased the chef’s skills and provided another avenue for great service and interaction with the serving staff.
CNE Approach: Introduce small gestures, like a complimentary dessert for a customer celebrating a special occasion at a restaurant.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Surprising guests with thoughtful touches, such as a handwritten thank-you note after a service call, can enhance emotional connections.
Companies focusing on creating memorable moments can expect revenue increases of 4-8% above market growth. We tell lots of people about bad service and disappointing experiences - so turn that on it’s head and get free marketing to every customer’s circle of influence. Obvious, right?
3. Atmospheric Enhancements: Crafting the Perfect Environment
The physical space of your business can significantly influence customer perception and satisfaction. Contrast playing gangster rap with classical music or the stale, stench of crinkle-cut chips in a pub versus the signature scent of a Hollister or top-flight hotel chain?
CNE Approach: Improve the ambiance with pleasant scents and décor. A spa might use aromatherapy to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Use ambiance strategically, as seen in high-end retail stores that design their layout to enhance the shopping experience.
Businesses that invest in their atmosphere can see customer satisfaction scores improve by as much as 20%. Selling hand-made jewellery in a West-End Shop with great lighting, security, concierge, fancy décor and great displays can double the sale price compared to advertising it on Instagram and selling from your workshop.
4. Empowering Employees: Creating a Culture of Ownership
Engaged employees lead to satisfied customers. Empowering your staff can cultivate a culture of accountability and creativity. It’s also quicker and better to give staff the right training and allow them to spend money in the moment to delight a customer or solve a problem. Speed is of the essence to reduce the harm and avoid upsetting other guests or generating a costly low star review on Google or equivalent.
CNE Approach: Allow staff to take ownership of their roles, like a tech company where engineers can propose solutions for customer service issues.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Foster a culture where employees feel valued. When employees at a restaurant are trusted to innovate, they often deliver outstanding service.
Engaged employees can boost customer satisfaction by 10% and profitability by up to 21%. They can gather far more feedback in a single shift and swiftly react to dynamic changes - so let them help you grow your business and reward them for doing so. Allow them to benefit from their own tips too.
5. Feedback Mechanisms: Listening to Your Customers
Actively seeking feedback is crucial for continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. If the survey is quick and easy, most people will gladly complete it. If you want to turbocharge it - add in a competition or prize and publicise the winners if possible to show you’re serious and reliable.
CNE Approach: Implement surveys to gather insights after service, like a gym asking members for feedback on classes.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Use feedback to enhance guest experiences. Restaurants that regularly check in with diners can make adjustments that resonate with patrons.
Companies that effectively solicit feedback can see retention rates rise by 10-15%. Be prepared to hear things you’d rather not initially until you fix the delivery and service problems. I get very irritated when returning beer or wine that’s off and being told by untrained staff that “lot’s of other customers have drunk it”! Seriously? Assume the customer is right and fix it - don’t justify why the lights are still not working because it’s “been reported”.
6. Storytelling: Connecting Emotionally with Your Brand
Every brand has a story, and sharing it can forge deeper connections with customers. That doesn’t mean leading with “My dad started this business from a van in 1930.” on your website landing page but you can provide some of this context in other marketing collateral or sales scripts to create connection.
CNE Approach: Use narratives about your business’s values and mission. A non-profit could share testimonials from beneficiaries to highlight their impact.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Create a narrative around customer experiences. For example, a clothing brand might feature stories from customers about their favourite outfits, adding a personal touch.
Brands that tell compelling stories can see a 30% increase in customer loyalty. When you take a position you will attract “birds of a feather” and also lose some customers that may not share your “save the whale/planet” viewpoint - but those you keep will be more aligned to your tribe. Or you can play it safe and be vanilla - but that’s not a differentiator.
7. Special Events and Promotions: Building Community
Engaging customers through events can create a sense of community and belonging. People like to be a part of something. Exclusivity has a higher ticket price too. Closed door sales to show the new season’s outfits to your biggest spenders rewards their loyalty and value and it’s very inexpensive to implement so add in a glass or two of bubbly to increase their spend and make it more enjoyable - and have a professional photographer help them take and share selfies with their networks!
CNE Approach: Host events that reflect customer interests, such as a workshop at a local bookstore or a charity event by a non-profit.
Unreasonable Hospitality: Use unique experiences to create lasting memories, like a vineyard hosting exclusive wine-tasting dinners.
Engaging events can lead to a 20% increase in customer visits. Reward the behaviours that you want to encourage.
Implement the 95/5 Rule Now
One of the key ideas in “Unreasonable Hospitality” is to allocate 5% of gross profit to enhancing customer service and experience. Why not add that to your business strategies for 2025? This investment will fund the "exciters and delighters" that turn everyday transactions into extraordinary experiences.
You’ll need to be well practiced and disciplined in setting and sticking to your budgets before you do this (ideally) but the ROI should make this one of your best ideas yet when you do it properly.
The Time for Action is Now!
By implementing these strategies, your business can create emotional connections with customers that lead to higher satisfaction, increased referrals, and repeat business. As the saying goes,
"People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but never forget how you made them feel."
Ready to transform your customer journey and reputation? Book a strategy day with me to develop a tailored action plan that will set your business apart and drive meaningful growth. Let’s unlock the full potential of your customer experience together!
