Deliver Greater Customer Experiences by Empowering Employees

Having satisfied customers is every organization’s goal.  But as the lines between products, services and experiences blur, keeping customers happy increasingly depends not only on technology but on employees who can flexibly and independently pivot with the unique needs of any given customer.

Customers today expect to be delighted.

Marketers are poised to deliver – watchful of customer satisfaction, net promoter scores, and “a customer journey” that provides just-in-time information, messaging and answers. Travelers get flight notifications as well as non-flight details to make their trips easier. Buyers get 360-degree walk through views of homes as they’re house hunting. Customers conveniently book restaurants, movies and rides online. And eventually, they usually encounter a human – a flight attendant, a real estate agent, a waiter, a ticket taker, a driver – someone who provides interaction.

Throughout this entire buying experience, one thing has not changed: One negative experience, and there’s a high likelihood that organizations will lose the customer’s business.

 

Empowered employees can make up for a bad experience

This is where the human component matters most, according to Qualtrics XM Institute. “Only one in five consumers will forgive a bad experience at a company whose customer service they rate as “very poor.” Nearly 80% will forgive a bad experience if they rate the service team as “very good.”

If designed well, technology has little trouble delivering an individualized customer experience. Employees need the same programming. But sometimes, in our quest to deliver consistent products and services, managers and leaders don’t make room for the flexibility needed. Instead, workers should be empowered to solve unique needs and problems as they arrive (or better yet, address them preemptively).

 

Follow the entertainment industry’s lead

Organizations across every industry can take a page from the entertainment industry playbook. Customer experience has always been their focus.

Disney empowers its “cast” to treat “guests” as they would a guest in their own homes. This experience is crucial for customer-facing businesses, including casinos, theatres, and sporting events. This is critical for any organization looking to differentiate its goods or services that have gradually become commoditized.  And every employee is key to creating a positive experience for each unique customer.

Because it’s the season, consider a holiday pop-up bar. Their business is selling cocktails, but the upfront charge for reserving the table indicates that customers can look forward to an experience. That’s where the server comes in. Do their interactions enhance the customers’ experiences? What will that bar do to make the up-front reservation fee a worthwhile expenditure and how does the staff play a role in making that happen?

When employees make customers feel like the center of attention, they are integral to getting them to come back or tell friends about their positive experience. 

 

Learn more about creating a customer service culture when you enroll in Customer Service “The Disney Way.”

 

How can you empower all employees to deliver outstanding customer service?

1. Get feedback and input from frontline workers. What do your customers like and dislike? Rely on employees to tell you what customers are saying. And ask them for suggestions on how to resolve problems or make changes. Be sure to keep them involved and give them credit as decisions are made. By asking for this input and acting on it, you show employees how much they matter.
2. Make employees your top priority. Employees who like their jobs and respect their organizations will be better incentivized to provide quality service. Consider if your employees are happy and if changing small procedures or policies could create a better workplace.
3. Offer training to communicate in challenging interactions. Problems are inevitable. How do you expect your employees to respond to an angry customer? By providing training, you’re leaving nothing to chance as each worker has the communication skills needed to interact seamlessly and prioritize the customer relationship.
4. Communicate values rather than rules. What are the priorities for your organization? If you want employees to prioritize customers, be sure those are your organization’s priorities and that employees understand this.  Rather than a strict list of policies and rules, communicate the values and point out examples as they occur.
5. Establish the right rewards. An employee incentivized by a volume measure of task completion may brush aside customer concerns in order to meet number goals. An employee incentivized by customer satisfaction will be inclined to consider each interaction individually.

 

As the products and services organizations sell increasingly become commodities, empower employees to thrill customers. When they are free and encouraged to create amazing experiences for each individual customer, they set your organization apart.

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