At a seminar on customer experience, there was a brief reminder. The six levels by which you can make or crack your brand. Conceived by Ron Kaufman, these are meant to give you insight into how a customer might experience your service. From 'we will never come here again' to 'should you hear what I have experienced now'.
Service, like technology, is always evolving. It is something you have to work hard for as a company. But are you doing it well? Then you are likely to be the topic of conversation at a party. And a customer will also recommend your company to friends. Really good service, according to Kaufman, is like a competition that never stops. ''Get one step better every day. Keep talking to customers and ask yourself how you like to be treated.''
What service does a customer get at your company?
Criminal
Or the lowest step, at the very bottom of the stairs. The one you want to stay as far away from as possible. The service is horrifying. Criminally ordinary. Even the minimum expectation of a customer is short-changed. Go figure: your reservation in a restaurant has not come through, all the tables are occupied. After 20 minutes of waiting, you still don't have a menu and the waiter is also grumpy. You will never come here again.
Basic
'Mwoah, okay'. This is what a customer is likely to say if your service is basic. Not bad, but whether you will come there a second time? Highly unlikely. The food was greasy and on entering, no one greeted you. Fortunately, the window seat made up for everything. But the service? To make you angry. A five, then.
Expected
Not good, not bad. Because let's face it: if you don't excel, you just blend in with the crowd. The service is exactly as a customer expected it to be. The food is tasty, the service friendly and the cuisine fast. This joint will definitely keep you in mind. For a quick bite or a simple night out, this is the place to be. But if you can find something better somewhere else...
Desired
The fourth step on the staircase. Definitely not bad. This is what a customer expects from your service. And even a little more. When you arrive at the restaurant, a friendly waiter is there to take your coat and a basket of bread with tapenades is already waiting on the table. Free and for nothing. Without you having asked for it. How nice.
Surprising
People love surprises. Especially when it comes to service. A customer service employee at Coolblue once surprised a woman with a new watch. Her old one had broken and she no longer had the receipt. Don't be difficult. Realising that sometimes you have to invest to make a customer smile. That it is much nicer to put a sign 'reserved for Mrs De Vries' than simply 'served'. The effort that is taken to explain all the dishes and wines. That is the superlative of expected. People come back. Again and again.
Unbelievable
A level of service of extreme height. Of amazement, mouths falling open and eyes flashing. In other words, legendary. That's unbelievable. Upon taking your reservation, you are asked if there is a special reason for your night out. You are met with a glass of prosecco (after all, you've only been married 25 years once), the wine and food arrangement is completely tailored to your wishes and between courses, there is just enough time. This service is going viral.
Do keep innovating, says Ron. ''Before you know it, everyone will be on the same level as you and what you do will no longer be unique.''
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