Who do You Love?
“If you don’t love your customers, someone else surely will.”
~Jim Cecil
Have you ever experienced great customer service? Maybe the business treats you like royalty, they know your name and they are glad you’re there. My wife and I used to love to go eat at our local Hawaiian Poke’ restaurant before the owners decided to close their doors and move back home.
At this particular Hawaiian Poke’ the food was always fresh, delicious and the place was spotless. As good as all that was, what brought us back were the people who served us. After a few visits our server, Jenny, knew our ordering habits and our names. Each time we came in we were greeted by our names and asked what we would be trying tonight. My wife rarely orders the same thing twice and she would often ask Jenny about something she had had several months before, with very little explanation. Without fail, Jenny could rattle back with amazing accuracy her past orders and preferences. It was uncanny. Jenny made us feel like we were special and one of kind.
One day, while waiting for our food, I heard Jenny ask another customer if he wanted his normal order and proceeded to repeat what he usually got. At first, I was taken back, and thought, wait, I feel cheated on, but then I quickly realized Jenny had a gift. A gift of making people feel special. One may say she made you feel loved.
Southwest Airlines says, that “Every employee is responsible for promoting and preserving our culture.” That culture is designed to make the customers feel loved. Whether you have customers who are internal, external or both, it is essential for your people to know how to treat them.
In our industry, teaching landscape front line teams how to interact around people while using a backpack blower is important for a good customer experience. And the teaching must be consistent and ongoing. Not all customers are identical in needs/wants so being willing and knowing how to adapt is critical to success. Equipping your people to love your customers is vital for your culture, reputation, and profit.
My wife and I miss our local Hawaiian Poke’. Truth be known, we probably miss how we were made to feel almost as much, if not more, than the food. Jenny loved her customers by using her talent to remember our ordering habits, preferred dishes, and our names. People love hearing their name used with respect. Loving your customer does not have to cost much, but it has to consistently show up.
How do you and your team love your customers? Let me know.
Keep cultivating love for your customers.
Jeff
