Each week, in our newsletter, we offer quick tips to help you enhance your customer’s experience. (Sometimes that means your internal customers as well!) Every once in a while we’ll compile the tips here on the blog in case you missed any of them. You can view the first compilation by clicking here, and enjoy these quick tips below. Comment and let us know which ones you plan to implement. Remember, ideas are great but ACTION is what changes things.

Ask, then Wait

When putting a customer on hold, Ask for permission and then wait for the answer. Give callers a reason for the hold and a time frame. “Mr. Bouchard, may I put you on hold for 1 minute while I find out for you?” Then, wait for the response. “Thank you Mr. Bouchard. I’ll be right back with an answer.” – Be sure not to keep them waiting longer than 2 minutes. If getting an answer to their question is going to take longer, ask if you can call them back within a specific time frame.

Keep a Secret Stash of Swag

How can possibly personalize gifting for customers when there are so many of them and you have limited time? Enter our secret! We call it a secret stash of swag. Keep a closet of little mini-gifts in categories. People love things in categories. We love our children and grandchildren, our sports teams, hobbies, and our alma maters. Veterans are rightfully proud of their veteran status. We have favorite candy bars and favorite music. Keep a stash of mini-gifts in a closet. Then add one to your standard gift basket as appropriate for each customer! They’ll be wow’d by your personalization – but the systemization will help you get it done!

Be Creative with Customer Names

There are so many ways you can use a customer’s name to surprise and delight them! For instance, our Maestro of Imagination & Organization created these wonderful candy bar wrappers for our guests a few weeks ago. A simple idea, executed with care, and it was a memorable moment for our conference attendees. How could you use your customers’ names to surprise & delight?

Give Standing Ovations!

A fun way to surprise and delight customers or team members is to give them standing ovations! For instance, the Gaylord Opryland Stars (employees) will surprise a guest celebrating a special day, or a prospective meeting planner, by gathering at the grand staircase at a pre-determined time. The unsuspecting guest walks by to a round of applause! Who could you give a standing ovation to today?

Have Theme Days

This tip comes from Givens Communities. Pictured here are Christian and Julia! While at our conference, Julia shared a really cool idea the HR team is using to connect with team members. They choose a fun holiday theme and create a little connection point around it. For instance, today is National High Five Day! Julia, Christian and their other HR colleagues are walking around their campuses high-fiving team members all day! So, there’s a tip you can use TODAY!

 

Surprise & Delight Your Team

I was at Big Spring Country Club for a week in June training servers as they are hired for the summer season. Club Manager Rick Thurston surprised and delighted my trainees this afternoon by interrupting the class for an ice cream sundae break! If you want your team to roll out the red carpet for your customers, you must give them a little star treatment too! What can you do today to surprise and delight your team?

 

Have a Smile File

If you’re like me, you sometimes have bad days! Wait. What? Is it just me? LOL! I’m guessing not. Here’s a little trick that keeps me going on those days it’s hard to get up in the morning. I keep a couple of SMILE Files. It’s a paper folder in my file cabinet, and also a folder in my email inbox.

Within them are the emails, cards, and notes filled with kind words from others (even some of you) that remind me that people care. On those tough days, I pull out those files and pour through them for an instant lift of gratitude. Start a SMILE FILE of your own and, while you’re at it, add to someone else’s SMILE file today!

 

Red-Carpet Learning Systems, Inc. is a training firm led by Donna Cutting, author of 501 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Your Customers. Team Red Carpet works with organizations who want to build service cultures of happy employees delivering exceptional customer experiences. Learn more on our website.