Manage Customer Experience through Small Details

It was just a small thing that most people wouldn’t notice, but it was a detail worth noting in the quest for outstanding service. I’ll try and paint you a verbal picture of the situation. I was staying at one of the Disney hotels in Orlando. There was a line at the check in counter. I guess they were getting us ready for the lines at the theme park.

There were at least eight front desk personnel checking in guests, so the line was moving. When it was my turn to check in, the open spot was at the other end of the front desk. Rather than the front desk looking over at me and yelling, “Next,” she walked over from behind the desk to where the line was, smiled at me, greeted me, and asked me to come over to her area to check in. All of the front desk personnel did the same thing when their areas opened up for the next guest to check in.

Contrast that with the very expensive hotel I just stayed at in New York City. It was my turn to check in and the guy at the front desk yelled, “Next.” He didn’t welcome me when I approached him. He just said, “Name.” I guess that was his way of saying, “Welcome to our very expensive and well known hotel. I’m here to check you in. May I have your name please?”

This was just a little thing, and by itself is nothing significant. But if enough of these little things are good, they add up and eventually get noticed. Conversely, so do the bad ones. And once you have even a small, seemingly insignificant bad experience take place, it becomes magnified when another one happens.

Anybody and any company can manage the big and obvious things. It’s the little things that can make you stand out. Details can make the difference.

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314)692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com – Web:http://www.hyken.com – Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).

Ten Compelling Reasons to Deliver an
Amazing Customer Service Experience

I love lists, especially when it comes to learning. The list below was the result of a quick brainstorming session about the advantages of delivering a great customer service experience. I came up with many more, but wanted to create the “Top Ten List” for you.

As you look at the list below, what other ideas and strategies do you think about? I would love for you to send me what you would add to the list. And now, here are ten compelling reasons to deliver an amazing customer service experience:

1. Amazing customer service builds credibility, trust and confidence, which can lead to customer loyalty.
2. It can help the marketing and sales budget. It costs less to keep existing customers than it does to create new ones.
3. Delivering amazing service creates a buzz, word-of-mouth marketing and referrals, again helping the marketing budget.
4. Delivering amazing customer service can lead to existing customers buying more.
5. Customer service saves money. When you do it right the first time, you don’t have to fix it the next time.
6. Customer service can give your company an advantage over competitors.
7. Amazing customer service can make price less relevant.
8. Customer service focused companies are usually employee focused companies, thereby creating a better place to work. That means lower turnover, which could mean savings in hiring, training and more.
9. Customer service superstar companies are usually more profitable than the ones that aren’t.
10. Customer service helps get and keep customers… because without customers, you don’t have a business.

Thanks for reading and I can’t wait to get your feedback and ideas!


Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a professional speaker and author who works with companies who want to develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more information on Shep's speaking programs, books, tapes and learning programs please contact (314) 692-2200. Email: shep@hyken.com Web: www.hyken.com Click here for information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs (http://www.TheCustomerFocus.com).