THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

I recently went on a trip across the United States with my family. I love to travel, and I don’t mind spending the extra money to fly on my favorite airline. (It’s Delta in case you are wondering 😉)

As I was settling in to get comfy for the 5-hour flight home, I started to think about why I am willing to spend the extra money to fly Delta. They are certainly not the cheapest airline out there and they don’t have direct routes to some destinations from my home airport. And with all the current issues facing the airline industry lately, their reliability has come into question (I still believe they are one of the most reliable airlines. Current issues are impacting all airlines and it stands to reason that the biggest ones would have a greater number of problems with short-staffing, flight cancellations, etc).

Anyway, I was sitting there watching my children get comfy in their seats, enjoying their apple juice in fancy cups (we flew first class) and overall, just having a great time. I also looked to my husband, who is an absolutely terrible flier and hates travelling in general, to see that he was also settling in and enjoying an adult beverage as we waited for the remaining passengers to board.

I asked myself why I continue to pay for this airline’s services over other cheaper, and potentially less reliable, airlines. As I looked at my family, the answer came to me: because the experience I have when flying Delta Airlines is second to none. I have never had a bad experience flying with them.

Now, this doesn’t mean that I won’t ever have a bad experience with Delta or that issues outside of their control won’t cause delays or issues in the future. Sometimes those things just happen and as travelers, we have to plan for the worst sometimes. However, the lifetime of quality experiences I have had flying Delta keeps me coming back for more, even when I could fly a different airline for less money.

The customer experience is critical to the success of any business, especially one in a competitive industry like air travel. Not all travelers want the same thing from their flying experience. Knowing who they serve and how to serve them allows all the different airlines out there to develop loyal flyers that will keep coming back.

I know you are not a big airline, but I want you to think about how you can apply this in YOUR business.

As a business owner, you MUST determine what kind of customer you want to serve, how you want to serve them, and then design a customer experience that will give them everything they want and more! This is how you develop loyal, raving fans that will use your services over and over and refer you to people they know.

Let’s talk a little more about Delta Airlines. Did you know that Delta has a Chief Customer Experience Officer? That’s right! They have one person whose sole responsibility is to see to it that every Delta customer has an amazing experience! You might not be a huge company with thousands of employees to help you provide a great customer experience, but luckily you don’t have to be. YOU are your own chief customer experience officer, and you get to choose who you serve and how you serve them!

As consumers we come to expect a certain experience with the businesses we patronize. We use Spirit Airlines or go to Walmart expecting low prices, we fly Delta or go to Nordstrom expecting to be taken care of and experience a little more luxury. There is nothing wrong with any of those businesses or the experiences they provide. All are highly successful and provide the service they intend to provide to the consumers they intend to serve.

Regardless of your industry or service, you have customers. Even if you work for a company and you don’t serve the paying public, you still have customers – these are the people that are directly impacted by your job and the work you do. For example, if you are a manager, your subordinates are your customers – what kind of experience are you giving them? Do they feel taken care of? Are their needs met in a way that fosters their ability to do their jobs at a high level?

It is all about knowing who your clients are and what experience they want from you. If you are low-cost service provider and that is your focus, go after the clients that only focus on cost. If you are higher-priced but provide a higher level of value and attention, go after customers that want that experience. You can’t cater to everyone, and you will waste your time trying. Determine who your clients are and then go after them!

I hope this article has helped you think about the ways you can focus on your ideal customers and how you can provide them the best experience that will create trust and loyalty, so they keep coming back for more!

Want to learn more about creating your brand’s customer experience? I’m creating a digital course to teach you how to do it! Click HERE to get on the waiting list for Five Star Fans: Your Guide to Creating Epic Customer Experiences. This course will provide with the tools you need to become your own Chief Customer Experience Officer so you can serve the people you want to serve in a way that will keep them coming back to you!

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Ciao for now!