Shep Hyken shares some quotes from his revised and updated book The Cult of the Customer to get you thinking about how to amaze your customers.
Amazement isn’t an over-the-top experience. It’s about a consistent and predictable above-average experience. While you may have an occasional opportunity to go “over-the-top” for your customers, the consistent positive experience is what your customers will love most about you. They will “own” the experience you provide them and they will reciprocate with more business and referrals.
Now, as promised, here a few of my favorite quotes along with some short commentary.
“Satisfying your customers is not enough. Satisfied customers are not loyal customers.”
Satisfactory is a rating. Loyalty is an emotion. Connect with your customers on an emotional level to move them beyond being “just satisfied.”
“It is the total customer experience—not just customer service—that creates loyalty.”
Don’t confuse customer service with customer experience. While customer service is a very important part of the overall experience, don’t forget that it is just a part of it. Don’t confuse the two, and make sure you focus on both.
“Seventy-six percent of customers say it’s easier now than ever to take their business elsewhere. In other words, if the company is not showing any loyalty toward the customer, why would the customer show loyalty toward the company?”
This stat is one of the more conservative numbers on the topic of customers defecting. Many customers will walk away after just one bad experience! Customers know what they want and if you don’t give it to them, they will walk. If you want them to come back, treat them in a way that will get them to come back.
“No matter what you do, always do your best. It is the consistent effort to be amazing that creates confidence. When you make a habit of amazing the people you work with, you will inevitably end up amazing your customers… and these amazing experiences will turn your satisfied customers into customer evangelists!”
Do I even need to explain this one? A great service experience is not just a one-time-effort. It’s consistent. It takes constant training and practice. When you practice enough, it becomes a habit, one that will make your business a success.
There you have it—some of my favorite quotes from my newly revised and updated book. Consider using these quotes as conversation starters in your next team meetings. What do they mean to you? What can you do to amaze your customers and get them in the Cult of Amazement? If taking care of your customers and making them want to do business with you again and again is important to you, then it’s time to join the cult… The Cult of the Customer.
About the Author
Shep Hyken is the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. As a professional speaker and best-selling author, Shep helps companies develop loyal relationships with their customers and employees.
