Are you Providing a Great Customer Experience?

Do you give the customer service to your customers that you would expect for yourself? Take a look at the latest blog from Hannah of Hoyland Marketing. She gives us some great examples of how to do it right, and wrong!

When was the last time you got a truly objective view on the customer experience you offer? We all get frustrated with our own experiences but do we take them on board and apply them to our own businesses? The bigger your firm gets the harder it is to keep a handle on this. Have a look at two of my own experiences last year. Think about how you can ensure you are more like the first than the second.

1 Independent Hairdresser
For a woman, one of the scary things about moving to a new area is having to divorce her hairdresser. But it has to be done. I moved out of London and wanted to find myself a similar salon experience. After a false start, where I was lured in by a big name and got an ok but a hectic service I chose an independent salon with a brand I found attractive. I wasn’t happy with the haircut at all - a bob that was significantly shorter on one side than the other. I sent an email saying that I wasn’t sure it was sitting properly, and could I pop in? 

The response
Amazing. A phone call that day. Could I come and see the creative director the next day, if not, when would be convenient? My consultation was great, she was warm, friendly and not at all put out that I had complained. In fact she agreed with me. She described what she could do to put things right. One of the owners came over and thanked me for giving them the chance to put it right. 

The result
An amazing haircut for me and a loyal customer for them who is an advocate for their brand, recommending them wherever possible.
 

2 National bathroom supplier and installer
The navy-blue bathroom cave that had existed in my house when I bought it six years ago, had to go. Instead of shopping around for the best price (which is what I would usually do) I decided to treat myself. I paid a bit more and booked the product supplier to install as well. After all, they know their product best and it would be less hassle this way, I thought.

No one turned up at 8:00am as arranged on day the work was due to start. I called the office but it wasn’t open until an hour later. Work started a week later. The installer wasn’t on site much and a junior carried out a lot of the work. The end result was awful. I contacted the office and complained. 

The response
An offer of £200 compensation in the form of product. I politely declined because I had a whole bathroom,  what other product did I need?! The regional office didn’t call back, they didn’t answer my emails and the website didn’t offer me any other options. It was impossible to get myself heard. On LinkedIn, I found a Customer Experience Director, he got things moving. It still took constant chasing from me but six months later the issues had been put right. On the last day of work, I received (another) grammatically incorrect email from my regional contact asking if I was happy with the work. I said I thought it was ok and when was he going to inspect it (as he had with all the previous work carried out)? He said he wasn’t and that he would leave me in peace to enjoy my Christmas. I haven’t heard anything since, from him or the Customer Experienced Director. 

The result
A new bathroom tainted by an extremely stressful experience. Someone who will never recommend their services and will dissuade people from using them when bathroom installation comes up in conversation. 

Make sure the customer experience you provide is a good one and that you have processes in place to ensure it stays that way. As an owner of a business you are too close to it to be objective. Email hannah@hoylandmarketing.co.uk or call 07714794544 to get help creating advocates for your brand and growing your business.