Top Four Reasons It Pays To “Delight” Your Clients
I was recently getting fast food for my children (don’t judge me), and the restaurant made a mistake with my daughter’s meal, usually not a big deal except we didn’t notice until we got home. So, being the great mother that I am (humble brag), I drove back and told them about their mistake. Here comes the annoying part. The woman behind the counter did not apologize, and quite frankly seemed annoyed. She took the “mistake” burger from the box and right in front of me, threw it in the trash. She then begrudgingly handed me the nuggets, again no apology. This person had an opportunity to delight me by simply apologizing and telling me to keep the “mistake” food item instead of wasting it, or even a smile would have been something. This is a place that you may not expect above and beyond service, and the point is still the same. It was a wasted opportunity.
Often when we look at our ‘client’s journey” we focus on making sure everything goes smoothly and there is nothing to cause friction which is important to keep top of mind. And are you going out of your way to delight your clients?
In today’s competitive landscape, building strong and lasting relationships with your clients is crucial for sustained success. It's not enough to provide a product or service that meets their needs; it’s critical go the extra mile to delight your clients at every opportunity. Delighted clients are not just satisfied; they become advocates for your brand, bringing in repeat business and referrals. In this blog, we'll explore the importance of delighting your clients and provide strategies to ensure that you consistently exceed their expectations.
Why Delighting Clients Matters?
Loyalty and Retention: Delighted clients are more likely to stay loyal to your brand. When you consistently meet or exceed their expectations, they have little reason to seek alternatives. This loyalty leads to higher customer retention rates, reducing the need to constantly acquire new clients, which is costly.
Referrals: Satisfied clients are more likely to recommend your business to others. Word-of-mouth referrals from clients can significantly expand your customer base, often at a lower cost than traditional marketing efforts. They become your advocate in the marketplace. It’s always good to have raving fans!
Increased Revenue: Delighted clients are willing to spend more on your products or services. They see the value in what you offer and will want to continue working with you, whatever the cost. This increased spending translates into a boost to your bottom line, and who doesn’t love working with people who love you?
Strategies for Delighting Your Clients
- Understand Their Needs: The foundation of client delight is a deep understanding of your clients' problems. Make the flip from being a product expert and become a problem expert. Package your products or services as a solution or tool that you use to solve their biggest problems.
- Consistent Communication: Maintain a consistent cadence of communication with your clients. Communicating regularly through emails, blogs, newsletters and check-in calls will keep you top of mind when your clients need something or when someone they know needs something (hello referrals). I caution you though, be sure your content is relevant to your clients, otherwise you will fall into the annoying emails category with all the other things we don’t remember signing up for.
- Continuously Improve: Never stop looking for ways to improve your products, services, and processes. Become a disrupter to your own business before someone else does, and when clients see that you are committed to innovation, it instills confidence in your brand.
- Provide Exceptional Customer Service: This may seem like a no brainer, and it’s not (see opening story). Train your staff to do their jobs AND provide exceptional customer service. Encourage empathy, patience, and responsiveness when responding to client’s needs. A positive interaction can turn an ordinary experience into a delightful one.
Conclusion
Delighting your clients is not a one-time effort; it's an ongoing commitment to creating exceptional experiences. By understanding their needs, and consistently exceeding expectations, you can build strong and lasting relationships that lead to client loyalty, referrals, and increased revenue. Remember, every interaction with a client is an opportunity to delight them, so don’t throw out the burger, make the most of every chance you get to leave a positive and lasting impression.
If you need help training your staff to be “delightful”, reach out to us, we are happy to support your success!
By guest blogger "Shannon Doyle"