One of the blogs I get email updates from is Customers Rock! Check out this recent posting:
Focus on WOW for Customers
Posted by Becky Carroll on April 10, 2008
I just got back from my local branch of Wells Fargo, and something caught my eye behind the friendly teller, Jennifer. Another employee was preparing a chart to go on the wall entitled, “11 Ways to WOW the Customer.” Of course, being the customer-focused professional that I am, I had to ask about the chart.
Great Customer Service
Jennifer told me it was to help remind the team about customer service, with the main goal being that customers feel welcome each time they come into the bank. They want the experience to be such a good one that customers will seek them out for their future banking activities, even if this is not their home branch. Most of the items on the chart are simple, such as welcoming customers into the bank verbally when they come in the door. Smiling. Or, as she said, “Keeping your grump to yourself!”
This is consistent with Wells Fargo’s corporate focus on customers. Here is an excerpt from the Customer Service page on their website, describing the 11 Ways to WOW.
“Welcoming”
- you make me feel at home.
- you care about me.
- you make me feel special.
“Delivering value”
- you give me the right advice.
- you provide me value.
- you keep your promises.
“Following up and building relationships”
- you help me when I really need it.
- you know me.
- when you make a mistake you make things even better.
- you thank me.
- you reach out to me.
Employee Retention
Jennifer said this customer focus makes the branch experience not only better for customers, but also better for her and the other employees that work there. She enjoys her job more when she is able to truly help customers with their needs. She spends time talking to them about the task at hand, but she also spends time listening to them talk about their lives. Customers have become her regulars, and one of them even brought in not one, but two cakes for the team. The pace at this branch is a little more leisurely, so the employees there have time to chat with customers, their kids, and even their dogs!
I love this line, again from the Wells Fargo website: “We’re only as good as our first impression and last connection. This is all about culture and attitude.”
That, my friends, is what this blog is all about.
WOW Your Customers
I encourage each of you to think of how you can WOW your customers. Don’t leave it to chance or count on just hiring great employees. That is not enough. Customers Rock! companies set a goal for WOW customer interactions, then they make a specific plan to meet that goal. Finally, they check back with their customers to see whether they made a difference from the customer’s perspective.
Jennifer, you guys rock! Thanks for making it special, and I will work on baking you some cookies for the next time I come in…
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