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Have you ever stopped to think about what it is that makes you frequent the same business over and over again? Could be the location, convenience, price, habit . . . however, those things are all subject to change. For example, if you frequent the gas station at the end of your street only because it’s convenient, what happens if you move across town? Are you going to trek back to the same gas station that is no longer conveniently located near you? What if this gas station simply offers the best price in town, will you continue to go to them if they suddenly raise their prices?
Probably not.
However, if you frequent the gas station because they offer the best overall experience (they check your tire pressure, offer a free upgrade to your car wash, have competitive pricing, and remember your name), that may be worth a few extra minutes of drive time.
Well, I just had an experience that is the very definition of World Class Service and it has captured my loyalty and positive word of mouth.
I’ve frequented the Publix grocery store on the corner of Clark Road and Silver Star Road for about 10 years. I have always found shopping there to actually be “a pleasure,” as their slogan goes. However, I usually take my prescriptions to CVS across the street . . . I’m not sure why, maybe out of habit and because I’ve never had an unpleasant experience at the CVS.
However, I recently dropped off a prescription a Publix, knowing I could shop for groceries while I waited. Unfortunately, when I went back to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription, I was told that the insurance company would not cover the cost of the medication until they could talk with the doctor.
Because it was after 5p on a Friday evening, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to reach the doctor before Monday. Ugh, how frustrating! Here I had the prescription, and the insurance carrier wouldn’t pay for it. The pharmacist and her assistant suggested that I go online to look for coupons, and even gave me a few ideas on the best websites. Frustrated about not having my prescription, I headed home.
No sooner had I arrived back home when the pharmacist’s assistant called my cell to tell me that they had gone online for me and found a coupon for a free 7-day trial of the medication. She wondered if I would mind driving back to Publix to pick up my free prescription . . . mind? . . . I’d love to!
When I got back to the pharmacy, I thanked both ladies and I could see that they were more than happy to help.
How refreshing to see not one, but two employees working together to deliver on the brand of the company. They didn’t just meet their customer’s expectations, they anticipated the expectation and over-delivered . . . and truly made my experience a pleasure! They cared enough to take an extra couple of steps, demonstrate compassion, (and in the process) knocked their competition out of the park.
I’m willing to bet that had I gone to just about any other place (or experienced any other employee), the experience would have been very different. However, this is the kind of experience that makes me want to tell everyone that it’s in their best interest to go (even out of their way) to this particular place.
When’s the last time you evaluated your (internal and external) customer’s experience? When’s the last time you took a good hard look at what it is that you deliver that isn’t dependent upon luck, location, or cheapest price?
When you create an experience that provides the most value, everything else becomes irrelevant. You create a demand for your unique offering and promote long term customer loyalty . . . and that’s when you Actualize Success!
Activate Potential. Realize Results.™
Click on the “contact” button to the left to schedule your customer experience assessment, and see how you can quickly and effectively improve your customer satisfaction and retention rate!