How much is your customer worth?

I've been fortunate to work on a contract onsite for the last couple of months and it's been one of the best things that has happened to me.

I came back to iJump with a renewed reality of what customers mean to me. When you're running your own business it's easy to lose track of what's really important.

Some key lessons I learnt on my assignment

• Providing excellent customer service is a skill
  
• It's a deliberate act
• It involves visualising what your customer may encounter when they try and purchase from you
  
• Design a detailed roadmap of concerns and offer solutions
• Anticipate delays
• Look at the entire experience of your brand from a customers external experience from day one

Focus on the small details, it's the small things that can make a difference and set you apart from your competitors. Don't be afraid to go the extra mile.

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. ..
Vincent Van Gogh

Thanks to zizzybaaloolah for the photo

New Zealand Insurance Roadside Assistance

When was the last time you experienced AMAZING service?

McDonald quick to upsize but....

I went to order breakfast this morning at McDonalds. And I asked if I could have everything on a breakfast combo except the sausages. I don't eat sausages I wanted cereal instead and I mentioned that I'll pay the difference. The girl behind the counter spoke to her manager about it. And she said no we can't do that but I could choose what hot drink I wanted.


What McDonalds do very well

• McDonalds talks about nutrition, they promote lite choices on their menus which is fantastic!
  
• They talk about catering to "individual tastes and dietary needs" on their website
• They talk about constantly reviewing their food
• Excellent, so far so good
  

Wouldn't it be great if....

• They followed through on what the say
  
• They understood what the definition of the word "individual" means
• They followed through and actually cater to customers dietary needs

Suggestions....

• Train your frontline people including your Managers to provide customer service that supports your external brand and marketing messages. (You don't want to be a bucket with thousands of little holes)
• Give your staff empowerment to think outside the square sometimes
  
• Your frontline people can make or break your business whether you're a giant like McDonalds or Mr B selling fish & chips down the road
• Everyone in your company should be singing from the same page if they don't it's a bad song and no one sticks around
• Do not underestimate customer service
  
• You spend so much time and money working on the visuals, words, the creative brief, the ads, the website. So think delivery
  
• McDonalds has a nice website, nice pictures, nice words but they forget how the customer should be treated when they walk through your doors
• Providing excellent customer service builds a lasting customer brand experience and it's the cherrie on that beautiful cake you took so long to bake
  

I'd be interested to hear your feedback or thoughts. Is McDonald in this space? This is another reason why brands should have an online presence because this is where the conversation is happening.

Photo credit: Dr Max

Have you experienced bad or good customer service? I'd love to hear from you.