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How Do You Create Customer Devotion?

Article by:  Ginger Conlon, Editor-in-Chief , 1to1 Weekly Newsletter

Harley-Davidson, Starbucks, Virgin Atlantic. These companies haven't become cult-like brands simply because of their products, according to Chip Bell, author of several best-selling books on customer service. Customers' devotion to these companies is about the experience.

Having great products is the price of entry. "People are not devoted to products, they're devoted to an experience," Bell said during his keynote presentation at the North American Conference on Customer Management (NACCM). Bell explained that delivering a great customer experience is not just about meeting customers' needs and expectations; it's about meeting their hopes and aspirations. He offered seven steps to help companies do so.

1. Engagement – Listen to understand
Organizations need to listen to their customers in a way that shows that those customers are valued. This is especially important because customers' expectations are constantly changing -- moment by moment. If, for example, company A answers its toll-free number in one ring, and you are that customer's next call, she will expect you to answer in one ring as well. "Customers judge you on what they think ought to happen, not on what you've 'trained' them to anticipate," Bell said.

2. Enlistment - Make customers feel like partners
It's imperative that companies include customers in such a way that they feel like partners. One way to do so: feedback. "Companies should beg for feedback and celebrate it like the gift that it is," Bell said. "We can become 'blind' to the details of our customer experience unless we listen to what customers tell us."

3. Enlightenment – Integrate service and learning
"Customers are devoted to companies that help them learn and make them smarter," Bell said. "It's very powerful. It says, 'I care about your growth.'" To meld wisdom into the customer experience, companies can provide customers with information that they didn't have but would value. One utility company, for example, now ends calls by asking, "Is there anything else I can help you learn more about today?"

4. Empowerment – Help customers feel confident and secure
Creating a consistent and comfortable customer experience helps customers to feel more in control. "Unpredictability drives us nuts," Bell said. "Every associate must be clear on the signature experience their company wants to create." At Disney, parking lot attendants and shuttle drivers tell customers the name of their parking area a total of three times to ensure that they remember where they're parked to avoid ending their day with the negative experience of a lost car. "Disney manages even the last memory of the experience," Bell said.

5. Enchantment – Create a magical experience
A great experience is also about being unique. "Companies need to personalize the experience in a way that surprises customers," Bell said. He shared as an example his experience during a recent stay at a Four Seasons that included himself, his wife, and his cat, Taco Bell. The staff asked the name of the cat and made a fuss over it, including sending up a toy and water/food bowls with room service that evening. But the magic was the next morning when the room service attendant brought in breakfast and, tray in hand, entered the room saying, "Taco! Good morning, Taco Bell."

6. Entrustment – Affirm that there is trust in the relationship
"All trust begins with a leap of faith," Bell said. "If you trust customers first they will respond to you in kind." According to Bell, something in the relationship fundamentally changes when you show trust. "Service recovery is about managing betrayal," he said. "It's not about fixing the problem only, it's about how you communicate empathy."

7. Endearment – Connect with passion
Companies need to show customers that they're special. "This is all about how we bring energy to the job and how we celebrate our customers," Bell said. "Customers like dealing with employees who are committed, but they love dealing with employees who are passionate." Bell warns companies not to put all their effort into transactional costs and miss the relationship value.

Reprinted with permission from Peppers & Rogers Group, a Carlson Marketing Group company. Copyright (c) Carlson Marketing Group. All Rights Reserved.