Everything That Happens In Between

Creating a good first impression is only the beginning.

I’ve sometimes wondered whether businesses spend too much time thinking about how to attract customers and not quite enough time thinking about what happens once they’ve attracted them. We invest in advertising, websites, social media and all sorts of activities designed to encourage somebody to make contact. We want them to visit, telephone, enquire or place an order.

But what happens next?

A customer might receive a wonderful welcome and still leave disappointed. Perhaps the service wasn’t what they expected, communication was poor or nobody took responsibility when something went wrong. Alternatively, somebody might arrive with fairly modest expectations and leave thoroughly impressed because an employee took a genuine interest in helping them. I think there’s an important distinction between providing a service and creating a good customer experience. Providing the service is what the customer has paid us to do. The experience is everything that happens around it.

It’s the way we communicate, the interest we show, the promises we keep and how we respond when things don’t go according to plan. It’s whether the customer feels informed, respected and valued throughout their dealings with us.

And this is where the whole business becomes involved.

A customer might initially speak to a receptionist, then a salesperson, perhaps somebody responsible for delivering the product or service, and finally somebody dealing with payment or administration. Every one of those people has an opportunity to influence the customer’s experience. It’s easy to think of customer service as the responsibility of a particular department, but customers don’t necessarily see departments. They see one business.

Somebody working in administration might think their responsibility is simply to process paperwork accurately. But the way they communicate with a customer, respond to a question or resolve a problem can be just as important to that customer’s impression of the business.

Customers experience our business through the behaviour of the people they meet.

When Things Don’t Go According to Plan

Not every customer experience is going to be perfect. Businesses are run by people, and mistakes will happen. Deliveries will occasionally be delayed, expectations will sometimes be misunderstood, and things won’t always go according to plan.

The important question is what happens next.

I’ve always believed that a customer complaint provides a business with an opportunity, although it might not feel like one at the time.

A customer who tells us something has gone wrong is giving us an opportunity to put it right. The way we respond can influence their lasting impression far more than the original problem. Think about the difference between somebody who immediately becomes defensive and somebody who listens carefully, acknowledges the difficulty and takes responsibility for finding a solution. The problem might be exactly the same, but the customer’s experience of dealing with it can be completely different.

Sometimes a customer who has experienced a problem, but seen it handled exceptionally well, can leave with considerable confidence in the business. They’ve discovered something they wouldn’t otherwise have known how that business behaves when things become difficult.

For managers, this raises an interesting question about how much freedom employees have to resolve problems. Do they feel confident enough to take responsibility? Do they know what they’re authorised to do? Are they supported when they make a reasonable decision in the customer’s interests?

Sometimes the quality of the customer experience depends on decisions made by management long before the customer arrived. If we want employees to provide excellent service, we need to give them the confidence and support to do it.

The Impression That Lasts

When we think about business growth, it’s natural to concentrate on attracting more customers. We look at marketing, advertising, sales activity and opportunities to reach different markets.

All of those things have their place.

But there’s another side to growth that deserves just as much attention: what happens to the customers we’ve already worked so hard to attract.

A customer who returns, recommends us to somebody else or chooses to continue doing business with us is providing something extremely valuable. And those relationships are rarely built on one impressive moment. They’re developed through a series of experiences that create confidence in the business. One of the challenges for business owners and managers is that we become so familiar with our own businesses that we stop noticing some of the things customers notice immediately.

We understand why things are done in a particular way, so we don’t always question whether there’s a better way.

Perhaps that’s why it’s worth occasionally looking at the business through a fresh pair of eyes. Not just examining the products or services we provide but considering the complete experience of dealing with us. From the first telephone call, email or visit, right through to the final conversation, the completion of the work and the way we say goodbye.

The first impression might open the door to a new customer relationship. The lasting impression can determine whether that door stays open. Perhaps the next time you review your customer service, don’t just ask how well you welcome customers.

Ask yourself what impression they’re taking away when they leave.

Nigel Cook

Founder & Business Growth Mentor | Mentor Members | Connect on LinkedIn

About Nigel Cook

Nigel is the founder of Mentor Members and has spent more than 30 years working with businesses of different sizes, including experience in business ownership, management, customer service and business development. Through Mentor Members, he provides practical, independent business support and mentoring to business owners and managers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.