{"id":579,"date":"2015-05-01T05:34:16","date_gmt":"2015-05-01T05:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/csm210469\/?p=579"},"modified":"2016-03-15T11:55:02","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T11:55:02","slug":"make-your-customers-feel-like-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/make-your-customers-feel-like-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Customers Feel Like Stars!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are six secrets from the world of celebrity that will get your customers buzzing about you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\"Superstar\n

If Johnny Depp walked into your workplace today, how would you behave? If you\u2019re like most people, you\u2019d drop whatever you were doing and approach him, smiling, ready and eager to serve him.<\/p>\n

If Halle Berry walked into your restaurant, you\u2019d immediately escort her to the best seat in the house. If Tom Hanks was on the phone asking questions, you\u2019d do whatever you could to get him his answers – cheerfully, right?<\/p>\n

What about the rest of your customers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019re thinking, \u201cOf course, we\u2019d treat them exactly the same way!\u201d Maybe. In general, though, customer service has become a \u201cbuzz phrase\u201d that is rarely lived up to.<\/p>\n

A study done by Connell and Associates found that 45% of all respondents felt that most companies simply do not provide good customer service. In a Harris Interactive Study 80% of respondents stated they had made the decision to never do business with a company again because of bad customer service.<\/p>\n

How can you \u2013 the business owner or service professional \u2013 turn this trend around?<\/p>\n

By treating your customers like stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Garrett Richter, president and CEO of the First National Bank of Florida, tells his employees, \u201cIf we roll out the red carpet for billionaires, they won\u2019t even notice it. If we roll out the red carpet for millionaires, they expect it. If we roll out the red carpet for thousandaires, they appreciate it. And if we roll out the red carpet for hundredaires, they tell everybody they know.\u201d<\/p>\n

To his point, the same Harris Interactive Study found that 60% of respondents said the main reason they would recommend a company is outstanding customer service.<\/p>\n

Here are six secrets from the world of celebrity that will get your customers buzzing about you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Give Them a Red Carpet Arrival<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a celebrity arrives for a movie premiere or a charity function, it\u2019s a big deal! There\u2019s a red carpet. There are photographers. There are hundreds of fans lined up, shouting their name and begging for a chance to spend even two seconds with the star.<\/p>\n

When the rest of us arrive at a place of business, we\u2019re lucky if we can even get someone to acknowledge us. Treat your customers like stars by showing them you\u2019re glad they came. Look up, smile, walk out from behind the counter and greet them. Most people don\u2019t need a fancy carpet or paparazzi \u2013 just eye contact is enough!<\/p>\n

2. Call Them By Name<\/strong><\/p>\n

Motivational guru and author Dale Carnegie said that when you\u00a0remember someone\u2019s name you \u201cmake them feel important.\u201d Remember your customer\u2019s name and use it each time you see them. Make it a top priority, and you\u2019ll find remembering names easier than you think.<\/p>\n

You can also find unique ways of using someone\u2019s name. For instance, High Point University welcomes all expected guests with their own parking space designated by a sign bearing\u2026.you guessed it\u2026their name. Some restaurants name dishes after famous people. What if you named some of your products after your best customers? Now that\u2019s the star treatment!<\/p>\n

3. Remember and Refer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aside from their name, remember other details about your customer as well and refer to them. When one grocery store manager recalled that the \u201cgrumpy lady who comes in on Wednesdays\u201d had been to Chicago to visit her daughter, he asked her about the trip\u2026.and made her day! Now, that once grumpy customer seeks the man out with a smile on her face whenever she comes into the store. It doesn\u2019t take much to make ordinary people feel special. Just pay attention.<\/p>\n

4. Cater to their Personal Preferences<\/strong><\/p>\n

While your customer may not be as picky as the celebrity who wants all the brown M&M\u2019s taken out of his candy dish, everyone has their likes and dislikes. Surprise your customer in little ways and let them know you are paying attention. In his former career as a banker, Author and Speaker Dave Timmons earned the business of a prospect after he tossed him two baseballs signed by the members of his grandsons\u2019 favorite sports team.<\/p>\n

One hotel dining room supervisor heard a guest say that she enjoyed blood oranges, so he secretly had a few brought up to her room. Delight people in this way and you and your business become unforgettable.<\/p>\n

5. Give Them SWAG!<\/strong><\/p>\n

At every awards show celebrities walk away with gift bags filled with products and paraphernalia worth thousands. There is a reason why people line up \u2013 and even pay good money \u2013 to give their goods away to celebrities via the swag bag. When the superstar wears or uses their product, it creates buzz. When Katrina Campins, star of the first season of The Apprentice wore a watch on the show that was given to her by Jacob the Jeweler, she was swamped with calls from men wanting to buy one for their wives.<\/p>\n

While your customers may not have the platform that Katrina had to show off your product, when you give them something for free they will talk about it. Just watch how much press Ben & Jerry\u2019s gets next time they hold a \u201cFree Cone Day.\u201d What kind of swag can you give your customers to get them talking about you?<\/p>\n

6. Be Extraordinary\u2026And Then Some.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make a commitment to be remarkable in every way that you serve your customer. Be the first one to respond. Have the widest smile in the room. Call everyone by name. Constantly be on the lookout for little ways that you can make your customer feel like the most important person in the world.<\/p>\n

When you do, you will find yourself not only with a customer for life, but with a raving fan that will go out and spread the word about their incredible celebrity experience.<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donna Cutting<\/a>, CSP is the Founder and CEO (Chief Experience Officer) of Red-Carpet Learning Systems, Inc. She leads a team of customer service experts that train organizational leaders turn prospects into delighted customers; and delighted customers into raving fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are six secrets from the world of celebrity that will get your customers buzzing about you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":173,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7740,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions\/7740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}