Imagine walking into a beautiful new restaurant. You’re warmly greeted by the hostess and promptly escorted to your table, where you’re warmly greeted again by your server…
The server introduces himself to you and proceeds to ask a few questions about your various preferences for the evening: would you like something from the bar, sparkling or still water, do you have any food allergies, any particular food preferences you may be in the mood for. He makes a few recommendations, and leaves you with the menus as he heads to the bar to put in your drink order.
He quickly returns with your cocktails, and you order your meal…
The food arrives in a timely fashion and it’s perfectly delicious. You’re not quite done with your meal when the bus-boy suddenly comes by and begins removing all of the plates and cutlery off your table. It’s abrupt and certainly not welcome, but it’s not the end of the world. The server then brings you the check. As you offer up your credit card, you’re informed that this establishment only accepts cash, which you happen to be low on at this time. Your server apologizes and directs you to the ATM that’s two blocks away. Left with no choice, you jog down to the ATM and back to pay the bill, then you leave as quickly as you can.
The next day a friend asks you, “So, what did you think of that new place?”… How would you answer?
A great customer experience encompasses the entire experience, not just your contact with the customer service department or sales rep. Great organizations understand that it’s every employee’s responsibility to ensure a great customer experience, whether you’re directly servicing the customer or supporting someone else who is directly servicing the customer. Creating a High Quality customer experience is literally a Team effort, and as our hypothetical dining experience shows, even the smallest negative interaction with a customer can spoil an otherwise excellent experience.
At Pro Tapes® we work hard every day to engage and educate our employees on the importance of creating a High Quality Customer experience.
We challenge them to not only create Great Customer Experiences, but to perpetually enhance our customer’s experience. Here are 5 ways we look to ensure High Quality Customer Experiences:
#1: Build a culture that seeks and values customer feedback
It’s difficult to exceed, let alone meet your customer’s expectations, if you don’t know what those expectations are. At Pro Tapes® we continuously ask, survey and probe our customers for feedback in order to better understand our customer’s unique requirements & expectations. We humbly accept our customer’s feedback, and try to incorporate good constructive feedback into all aspects of our company.
#2: Build deep constructive relationships with our customers
It’s imperative to understand who your customers are – and we’re not just talking about applications or service requirements. We try to understand the unique aspects of our customers as people, as well as the companies they work for. It’s important to Pro Tapes® that we’re viewed as more than simply a vendor or supplier, as we strive to build actual friendships with our customers. It doesn’t surprise us much when our customer service reps or sales reps receive birthday cards and even wedding invitations! Long-standing work relationships evolve into actual friendships more times than you’d realize.
#3: Reward our loyal customers
Loyalty is a two way street, and far too often it’s taken for granted. At Pro Tapes® our customer’s loyalty is rewarded in various ways, whether it’s providing co-op marketing funds, providing sales lead referrals, or helping our customers work through down-turns in business cycles by offering flexible payments terms. Pro Tapes® is always looking to reward our long-standing loyal business partners.
#4: Quality, Quality, Quality
At Pro Tapes® we understand that Quality means more than a defect-free product. Quality encompasses everything we do, and how we do it. We work hard to train our team on the importance of adhering to our procedures so that all of our customers receive timely and accurate information. Whether our customers are looking for product recommendations, certificates of compliance, or shipping documents and delivery guarantees, we understand that the quality of the information being provided is as vital as our defect-free products.
#5: Express your Gratitude (Always!)
We understand that our customers have choices, particularly in today’s day and age. Access to alternative products is just a mouse-click away. That’s why it’s important to Pro Tapes® that we continuously remind our customers that we are grateful for their business. Whenever we have an opportunity to let our customers know how much we appreciate them (no matter how many times we may have done so in the past), we do not hesitate to thank them. Simple things like dropping the occasional thank-you note in the mail or just signing off an e-mail exchange with a Thank You, taking the time to express our gratitude in any number of ways ensures our customers know we are truly grateful for their business. It’s a nice way to complete a Great Customer Experience!
