Why (and How!) You Should Aim to Delight Your Clients

Closing the deal on the sale might feel like a happy ending. But, if you’re doing it right, it’s really only the beginning! Once a prospective client turns into a customer, you need to be ready to not only deliver what was promised, but “wow” them so that they’ll become raving fans!

Why Delight Customers?

You’ve worked really hard to draw this customer in, so you certainly don’t want to lose them right away by disappointing them. Take every opportunity to exceed their expectations. Clients who can tell you have gone the extra mile for them will learn that you are trustworthy and dependable.

Plus, you hope the satisfaction your clients feel will lead them into becoming part of your business community and sharing your brand with others. Your goal is for some of your best clients to eventually see themselves not only as fans, but as brand ambassadors.

How to Delight Customers?

Make it your goal to actively pursue different ways to WOW your customers, whether through providing exceptional content or stellar customer service.

Listen:

Most of all, people want to be heard. So when you get feedback from a client, listen to it! Criticisms and comments about your brand should be acknowledged (and made right!) as quickly as possible. Some companies do this by setting up a strategy for “social listening” to hear and respond to feedback in a way that circumvents frustration with joy. (Hint: Twitter may be particularly active with these conversations.)

To take listening even further, Starbucks has created an entire webpage devoted to listening to the ideas their clients have. This not only helps customers feel heard, it keeps a finger on the pulse of the company’s biggest asset: its customers.

Empathize:

As with any human interaction, the ability to see things from another person’s perspective is critical for client relations. If you can understand how others feel (and how they perceive your brand), you can make needed improvements to keep folks happy.

JetBlue wins on this count. Instead of ignoring or explaining away a problem when a customer tweeted about it, the customer service agent empathized and offered to compensate him for his difficulty. Within just a few minutes, the same client was tweeting about how great JetBlue’s customer service is. A potential upset turned into a brand ambassador!

Engage:

People want to be treated like individuals! A bit of acknowledgement and recognition can go far. Don’t just respond with a standard answer. Treat your clients like people and engage using human qualities such as empathy, inspiration, and humor.

Taking advantage of their target audience’s pain point, Casper (a mattress company) introduced a free chatbot specifically designed for people who can’t sleep at night! Although it might seem like a waste, the company significantly increased sales through a clever way of connecting and engaging with their potential customers.

Go Beyond:

Don’t just do the bare minimum. (Your competitors can do that.) Do more! Surprise and delight so that ho-hum clients are turned into die-hard devotees. Leave your competitors in the dust when it comes to going beyond the expected.

For example, instead of just answering customer concerns or questions with a generic response, Spotify gets creative. The company’s customer service agents have been empowered to use their resources, combined with a hearty dose of wit, to create playlists that either answer questions or provide support. Sure, it’s silly, and takes a bit of time. But it’s an investment that creates goodwill, a hearty laugh, and often goes viral as people share their entertaining experiences with their friends.

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