Sweat the Small Stuff

I know there are popular books out there telling you not to sweat the small stuff - but I'm telling you that when it comes to your customers - you should sweat.

Walt Disney once said, "There's no magic to magic, it's all in the details." How right he was. He understood what it took to create the magic - hundreds of small, seemingly insignificant details repeated perfectly day in and day out to build a "Fantasy world" experience - a world that had never before existed. Fueled by his fantastic vision he took some empty land and some imaginings and created an all-new reality.

What's the reality of your customer experience?
What are the dozens and dozens of details in your business
that would make it ideal?

Let's take a look, beginning with the prospect experience:

• How much time and energy does it take to find out about you? Can potential customers find you easily in directories, on the web, or through your professional associations? Does your site work well?
• Do you make a positive impression with your logo, your tag line, and your welcome page? Is your phone system easy to navigate?
• Do you give the customer the impression that it will be a joy to have them as a customer when they do buy? Do you make it easy to buy? Do you say "thank you?"

After a prospect has bought from you and becomes a customer, what do you do to make sure they're using your product or service in the best way for their unique needs?

• Do you make it easy for them to find information and to ask questions? Do have maximum response times for answering emails and phone messages?
• Are your phone messages kept up to date and changed daily or weekly so customers won't wonder whether you're "away from your desk or on the phone?"
• Are you accessible both physically and emotionally?

Details... details... details... They're critical to the success of every experience you provide for your customers and prospects. Look at the 'ordering' experience, the 'calling' experience, the 'returning' experience, the 'browsing' experience, and the 'aprés sale' experience. You get it. Go make a list of ALL the details and ask what you can to make them each a little better. Get the whole team involved. Put yourself in Walt's shoes and create some magic!

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©2004 JoAnna Brandi & Company, All rights reserved.

JoAnna Brandi is the author of Winning at Customer Retention, 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal and Keep 'em Coming Back and 54 Ways to Stay Positive in a Changing, Challenging and Sometimes Negative World. She’s the publisher of the Customer Care Coach®, a weekly email based training program, and of a free, bi-weekly newsletter. Sign up now at http://www.customercarecoach.com  

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