Think of an experience you’ve had with a business that really made you say “WOW.” What does it take to make that happen?

In this episode of Stay Paid, Josh and Luke discuss what makes a client experience successful, why trust and connection is important, and how technology plays a role in understanding your customer so they can have that true WOW experience.

Key Points:

• The difference between customer experience and customer service
• Technology’s role in the customer experience
• Aiming for the unexpected

The DNA of customer experience.

What brand immediately comes to mind when thinking of the ideal customer experience? Zappos. They’ve taken this part of their business to the next level, and it’s become what they’re recognized for worldwide. Take a cue from Zappos and look at how you approach your customer experience strategy.

Amazing customer experience is strategically created, and will compel the customer to share the experience with others. It starts at the beginning: courting a potential prospect. You want to lay the foundation of trust from the get-go, being aware of not just what you say, but how you say it.

It’s about that emotional connection. Instead of saying, “can I be honest with you?”, aim to have a more personalized approach. Be constantly thinking about how you can connect with a prospect. What are their pain points? What are their greatest desires? This will help you personalize how you speak to prospects and clients.

Customer experience vs. customer service.

Customer service is about making sure something is right. Customer experience is about that extra mile—upgrading a hotel room to have an ocean view and knowing someone’s coffee order as soon as they walk in—it’s not just about doing the bare minimum.

The key difference between customer experience and customer service is the time and effort you’re putting in. For example, if you’re client has a daughter who likes ballet, are you trying to find the family a home near ballet studios? It’s about going that extra mile. People don’t always want to because it’s hard and takes time, but doing the hard things is what you should be doing.

Growing a business is about going outside of your comfort zone. Try to understand your customer and connect with them so you can personalize their service. Take Starbucks for example: if you go to the same location frequently, the staff start to know your name and your order. It makes the customer feel important. Aim to be more like that.

How does technology come into play?

As consumers, we expect everything to be top-notch these days. Everyone is asking the question, ‘How can you save me time?’ Technology has made convenience a top priority.

People can do just about everything online, so when they go of their way to find an expert it’s because they want the experience. Time is the most valuable thing in the world. It’s crucial to provide convenience and exceptional service, otherwise people will take it upon themselves to get the job done.

40 percent of people are willing to pay more for a better experience. Think about what makes you stand out from somebody else. How can you make your business more enjoyable for a client or a prospect? It’s about the experience, not just the service. Places like Chick-Fil-A have it down to a science: everything from the courteous staff to the food is what makes people rave about it and come back for more. What are creative ideas that you could put into practice for your clients as well?

Do the unexpected.

When you’re trying to come up with a WOW experience for customers, ask yourself, what do you like about a specific business? Think of the times you have been WOW’d, and why. Then look inwards at your own company and think about the experience you’re offering.

It’s not just about the experience during, it’s about the experience before and after as well. Think of Amazon. They always try to get you to buy more at checkout. Psychologically, we impulse buy. When you do the unexpected, people see you as someone who’s going the extra mile. You become more relevant, just like Amazon.

Send pizza on move-in day—do that extra thing that’s going to make you relevant (and stay relevant). What are you providing that’s going above and beyond and breaking expectations, but that’s also relevant to prospects and clients? Make that your priority.

Action items:

Following this podcast, our goal is to provide you with as many actionable tips as possible. This episode includes…

• How to build a strategic plan to personalize your service. Figure out the strategies you are going to use to personalize the experience.
• How to determine the convenience factors you offer.