Have you become so accustomed to bad service that good experiences are customer service surprises? How can you avoid a negative view of your own customer service?
One way is by surprising your customers – in a good way.
The following are examples of customer service surprises that help create loyal customers.
Customer Service Surprises
Businesses tend to overcomplicate good customer service. They dissect, analyze, and complain about it when at its core, customer service is not that complicated.
Think about it. When you are happy (or ticked off) with a product or service, what do you do?
- You tell your family and friends.
- Social media makes that a much broader audience.
- So, businesses want to keep customers happy.
Okay, so maybe that is a bit of an oversimplification. But you know I love simple.
Multiple studies show consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends more than any form of advertising. So, think about your family and friends.
Do you ever use surprises to make them happy? Perhaps you give one of the following.
- Small gifts
- Signs of caring
- A helping hand
Treat customers like family and friends. Make them happy. No, I’m not suggesting you invite them into your home. Simply think what simple gesture will make them happy.
Let’s explore how you can surprise customers by using the above three happy-making acts.
Surprise #1 − Appreciation Gifts
Who would believe that FREE stuff would become boring? But it has. Free reports, free ebook, or free white papers.
Every site offers them (yes, even this one). The whole tactic bores us. Why is that? Because we expect FREE − especially in exchange for our much-valued email address.
Try the unexpected. Surprise customers with small gifts just because.
Loyalty Gifts
Send repeat customers a thank-you for their patronage. A few ideas:
- Useful office supplies (emphasis on useful)
- A delicious treat (even healthy ones work)
- Gift cards (Starbucks/Amazon/iTunes/restaurants)
- Branded gifts (emphasis on useful and/or fun)
You can still offer gifts, such as discounts or free reports, but throw in the unexpected for a real surprise.
Event Gifts
Do you know about an event happening in a customer’s life? For example, a birthday, new baby, new home, a promotion.
- Send a congratulation gift.
- Customers appreciate even a simple email acknowledgment of the event.
- And it’s often unexpected.
One of the best surprises is the non-event gift. I am a huge dog lover and shared that trait with a customer who has a dog she adores. After she shared some photos of her pooch, I sent her a small gift for her dog. She loved it.
Little gestures count.
The Gift of Your Time
Your customers are like you. They have busy lives and value the gift of time. Here are a few ways you can share yours.
- Take the time to send a handwritten note/thank-you.
- Send PAPER greeting cards that show you cared to go to a store, pick one out, sign it, and put it in the mail. (Seriously, I almost always receive a surprised thank you back).
- Take customers to lunch/coffee just because.
- If you use billable hours, offer a free consultation.
What small gifts have you used? Share those in Comments.
Get creative and show customers you appreciate their loyalty.
Surprise #2 − Signs of Caring
There are numerous ways you can show caring for your customers − professionally speaking, of course. 😉
- Feature customers on your business site.
- Share their successes in social media.
- Introduce them to other customers who have shared interests.
- Recommend or refer customers to a potential client.
- Give a donation or sponsor their favorite charity.
Be proud of your customers. Shine the spotlight on their strengths.
Surprise #3 − A Helping Hand
Many of us find it difficult to ask for help. Why not offer help without being asked?
Picture your best friend, that special person that gets you.
- Best friends know what you like.
- You never have to explain what you need or how you’re feeling.
- Best friends anticipate before you ask.
Example
In my corporate days, I was a road warrior. When I flew up to the San Francisco Bay area, I always stayed at the same hotel, which was located near the airport.
Often my work took me to other parts of the Bay area. While other hotels would have been geographically more convenient, great customer service kept me at my preferred hotel.
From the front desk to the restaurant, gift shop, and housekeeping, each employee greeted me and tried to anticipate my needs.
Note: The examples below reveal how long ago this was, but it has always stuck with me. I tried to emulate the staff’s great service.
- Trying to read in the darkened restaurant (long before Kindle), a waiter brought me a book lamp. Wow.
- Staff placed the local paper outside my door each morning because they learned I purchased it every day at the gift shop. (I told you it was a long time ago).
- Housekeeping wrote personal notes thanking me for remembering them with a tip. The smiley faces at the end of the notes made me smile.
Now you know why I went out of my way to stay at their hotel.
Anticipate what your customer needs and offer a helping hand.
Customer Service Magic
Magicians may astound us but they know the secret to their magic. They study their craft, dazzle us with what we see, and surprise us with their tricks. The good ones are passionate about results.
- Customer service surprises are pure magic.
- They help make customers happy.
- What tricks do you have up your sleeve?
Credit: Bigstock Photo
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Helping you keep your business simple, clear & uniquely yours.
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Note: This post originally posted on August 25, 2014. This July 31, 2023 version updates it. This is the last of a three-part series on customer service. If you missed the first two, use the magic of links to check them out.
Post #1 − Positive Customer Service Responses for Three Thorny Tirades.
I may have said this before, but the customer service I like the most is when the company lets their people solve problems for me.
That’s one of those good surprises, right, Anne? 😉
I really appreciate good customer service and it’s an important component of my spending decisions. I stopped going to a local restaurant here in Ashland because the wait staff was so incompetent, for example. Conversely, there are some restaurants I patronize regularly in large part because the wait staff is so attentive.
It definitely makes a difference, doesn’t it, John? I stopped going to an office supply company that did not honor an ad they had for a discount on an item I purchased. That has to be at least 20 years ago. I guess I hold a grudge. 😉
Ah, yes, these work. But, then, they also become expected. So, remember, most of them are NOT one time occurrences, but need to be added to you repertoire.
Ah, yes, the challenges we face, Roy. 🙂