“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” – Bobby Unser
The road to success has many sayings, but the common thread is preparation. Customer service excellence revolves around making every interaction memorable. When customers leave your business, returning and retelling their experiences should feel as natural as breathing.
Transforming Customers into Ambassadors
Each customer interaction should strive to turn customers into ambassadors—enthusiastic champions who promote your products and services. Ambassadors are more than satisfied customers; they are advocates, boosters, and promoters who campaign for your brand.
But how do you transform a customer into an ambassador? While many approaches exist, I focus on preparation as a powerful means of conversion. Organizations that consistently prepare to exceed customer expectations at every touchpoint have a greater chance of turning customers into lifelong advocates.
The Power of Preparation
Hotel guests typically book in advance, which offers hotels the perfect opportunity to prepare and ensure each guest interaction is exceptional.
During my time at the Four Seasons Georgetown in Washington, DC, I witnessed firsthand how preparation can drive success. At this hotel, there were no shortcuts when it came to customer service excellence. Before every guest’s arrival, the customer-facing staff received a detailed dossier containing personal preferences, past interactions, and other valuable insights about the guest. This level of preparation ensured the guest’s experience felt personalized and welcoming.
Especially for repeat guests, these dossiers were incredibly detailed. Staff members studied them carefully so that when guests arrived, they were greeted like returning friends. They used the guest’s name, inquired about their children and pets, confirmed preferences, and acknowledged any recent changes in their likes and dislikes. Instead of asking basic questions, they verified details, making the guest feel valued and understood.
Anticipating Customer Needs
There’s a special feeling when someone remembers your preferences and anticipates your needs—this is easy when they have a “cheat sheet” like the guest dossier. This kind of preparation ensures that the entire guest experience is memorable, which not only guarantees repeat business but also converts customers into ambassadors for your brand.
Humans are creatures of habit, which makes it possible to anticipate certain behaviors in customer interactions. For example, I am allergic to feathers. If a hotel replaced feather pillows with hypoallergenic ones based on my previous stay, I would feel cared for and remembered. This simple yet thoughtful gesture would make me more likely to return.
Organizations can ensure these experiences by noting customer habits and preferences, then leveraging that information to create memorable moments. These seemingly small details can make the difference between a one-time visit and a lifelong relationship, turning customers into true ambassadors.
The Importance of Knowing Your Customers
Remember the theme song from the TV series Cheers:
“Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.”
(Cheers Theme Song by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo)
The takeaway is clear:
Prepare for the customers before they arrive. You already have their data—use it! Preparation ensures that when a guest walks into your establishment, they feel like they’re coming home. And in doing so, you’ll have created an ambassador.
Service recovery refers to the action taken by a service provider to address a customer complaint regarding a perceived service failure (Grönroos, 1988)
No matter how well-prepared a company is to create a customer-centric environment, customer dissatisfaction can still occur. This is inevitable because every customer has unique preferences. Service failures may not always be the direct fault of the company. Sometimes, a customer’s preferences can be so specific that the company cannot fully satisfy them, at least not initially. This does not mean the company should not make an effort try.
A personal example illustrates this point: a few years ago, I decided to exclusively consume whole-grain products, avoiding refined flour. This dietary choice made it challenging to find suitable options in many restaurants, as my preferences were not the mainstream norm. No, I am not gluten intolerant and it is not a medical choice I made. Rather a lifestyle decision.
Dining in most restaurants left me unsatisfied because the menu had no whole-grain product offerings. It’s amazing the quantity of flour-based products offered in restaurants.
However, my story is about how one restaurant turned my disappointment into die-hard loyalty. After hearing my friend’s glowing reviews of a restaurant’s Panini, I decided to try it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t order the Panini due to my self-imposed dietary restriction. The restaurant used white refined flour for their Panini, which didn’t align with my whole-grain preference.
Undeterred, I attempted to discuss alternative options with the waiter, but to no avail. The owner/manager overheard our conversation and intervened. He generously offered to purchase a 100% whole-grain bread roll from a nearby bakery to make my Panini. I was ecstatic!
Bread sourced, and my customised Panini served, the restaurant had lived up to my friend’s praise. Delighted at the restaurant’s willingness to accommodate my request, I willingly paid for the Panini and the remainder of the whole-grain bread.
The restaurant’s willingness to go above and beyond was enough to win me over. The owner/manager even allowed me to bring my own whole-grain bread on subsequent visits, offering to substitute it for any bread items on their menu. I particularly adore their French Toast.
This restaurant, Barista & Co., has become my preferred choice in Nairobi’s Sarit Centre mall. I wouldn’t dream of dining elsewhere at the mall, because they transformed my initial disappointment into a delightful experience.
Price isn’t always the deciding factor; a memorable experience can turn a customer into an ambassador. This transformation occurs when a customer feels a company has gone the extra mile. It makes the customer feel special, creating a lasting impression that encourages repeat business.
Mistakes will happen, even with the best efforts a company cannot please every customer every time. When customers are dissatisfied, regardless of the reason, a well-structured recovery process is necessary for customer retention. This is particularly true when the dissatisfaction is due to a customer’s unusual preferences.