How you treat your customers with each interaction will have a great impact on your business and customer loyalty. Are you taking the opportunities to treat or pleasantly surprise your customers?
On my last trip to the bank, I noticed two jars of snacks on the teller’s counter top. One bowl had candy. Another jar had dog biscuits.
I didn’t get either treat. Why? I was by myself. That’s fine. They weren’t for me.
When a customer drives through with a kid or a dog, I’m sure the teller surprises them with an appropriate treat.
How should you treat your customers? Look at “treat” more than just how you interact with them. In the case with the bank, “treat” literally meant a sweet candy or edible goodies.
Treat Your Customers Unexpectedly
Most transactions that customers have with your business follow a standard script or pattern. Customers get used to these, and interactions with you become boring. When you treat your customers unexpectedly with an additional positive experience, it will be noteworthy.
Be sure you make the effort to do something remarkable and positive when you talk with, meet, or serve your customers.
Show You Care About the Person
Being personable with your customers is a natural and friendly way to treat your customers.
Caring about the customer means that you recognize they have more of a life outside or your business or today’s transaction. The bank teller will see the kid in the back seat or the dog riding as your copilot and acknowledge them and treat them accordingly.
Pay attention to your customer and what is going on around them. This will often give you clues as to what you can ask about or how you can pleasantly surprise your customers.
Prepare for Your Customers
Sometimes it takes some preparation before you customer arrives to be able to treat them well. Once you find something that works, prepare your employees with the needed supplies to make an exceptional experience for the customer.
In the bank teller example, as a first step, she could at least acknowledge your children or dog and say something about them, even without a treat. Once that interaction with customers is confirmed to go well, take the next step to build upon what you’ve learned. In our example’s case, that is stocking treats.
How do you treat your customers? What unexpected surprises have worked well for your business?