Gratitude is the new “tude” in customer service

Marketing researchers have long sought the answer to one burning question:  What motivates people to buy what they do?

Given today’s economy and reduced consumer spending—built on top of increasing demands for transparency, authenticity and social responsibility—it's easy to see that consumer  expectations have shifted once again.  What’s not so simple to recognize is how that shift has impacted the basic element of delivering genuine and consistent customer service.

For instance, we all know that consumers expect common courtesy, convenience, and prompt attention should any problems arise.  But indications are those expectations are morphing into a deeper emotional desire which, in a word, is best described as gratitude.

You might be thinking, “That’s not new…we’ve been thanking customers for years!”  But there’s a difference between “thanking customers” and showing them genuine, heartfelt appreciation.  The latter elevates customer service to a definable business strategy that not only helps you keep the customers you have but also attract new customers seeking a deeper sense of personal satisfaction and significance.

Showing you’re grateful is a powerful customer retention strategy.
Consider for a moment how much work more and more consumers are doing when considering even average purchases, much less major investments.

Thanks to the Internet, they can research all kinds of options on the market, comparing not only expected industry brands and product/service features but also alternative solutions.  Through social communities and bloggers, they can ask family and friends for opinions, warnings and recommendations. They can take as much or as little time as they want to browse, consider, and compare and decide.  By the time they’re ready to buy, they know what they want and are confident in their choice.  Frankly, attention to research has been raised to a new level and received a heightened sense of urgency due to the state of the economy.

Now ask yourself, what happens when they reach your “storefront” and engage with your sales and customer service people (or online process)? Any guess on your margin for errors?

With this new-found sense of empowerment comes a different sense of expectations that go beyond good customer service—to gratitude and heartfelt appreciation.  Consumers have a far lower tolerance for annoyances they may have once shrugged off as “that’s just the way it is.”

What’s the lesson for companies looking to retain and grow their business? Invest some time to focus on the customer experience created by every aspect of your operations—from marketing and sales to finance, billing, fulfillment, IT, product development and more—and build a higher degree of gratitude and urgency into your processes.

Doing it right.
Zappos.com has built its reputation as a company who is grateful you chose them.  No shipping fees, hassle-free policies and procedures, and uber-friendly customer service folks who will search the Internet to find you an answer totally unrelated to its products—they just want to help you out.

Bed, Bath and Beyond is a brilliant example of understanding and living customer interaction.  When you walk into one of its stores, it’s only seconds before someone is asking how they can help you.  Then not only do they answer your question, but they also walk with you to find the item or the department.  They get that your time is valuable, they get that you can go anywhere to buy, they get that you don’t know the layout of the store like they do—they’re grateful you’re there, and they show it.

Hospitals across the country are implementing concierge desks in their main lobbies.  This is different from an “information desk” manned by volunteers.  The concierge is an employee who understands that the visitors he/she sees may be upset, confused and unable to focus.  The concierge takes the time to listen and carefully direct visitors—giving them one-on-one personal attention.  The concierge knows restaurants and hotels and even calls to make reservation for out-of-towners.  The concierge treats visitors like guests.

How do you get started?
Start by reviewing and tightening your organization’s brand positioning and desired brand experience—go back to the basics of defining who you are, what you do, and why you matter to consumers.

Conduct internal research with key managers to determine what they believe is the actual customer experience.

Ask your hands-on people (field sales, customer service, accounts receivable) for their assessment of current customer attitudes and behaviors and key internal policies that work and don’t work. Ask customers about their expectations and experiences with your organization—do they match what you believe is true? Compare and contrast—what are the top three things that are working, what are the top three things that aren’t working, and what are the top three actions needed to improve?

Taking the time to show how truly grateful you are for your customers’ business will keep those valuable customers from slipping out the back door, and give even more customers reason to make you their first choice.

Email comments to landerson@theandersongrp.com.