WOW Your Customers with World-Class Service

Think about a time when you’ve experienced world-class service. Was it at a department store, a restaurant, with a healthcare provider? Now think about what made that experience a “WOW” for you. Most likely, what you remember most is not just what service you received, but more importantly how it made you feel. 

Getting to WOW

WOW service doesn’t just happen. Rather, it’s the result of a consistent and undying commitment to delivering service to the customer that is unparalleled. It’s service that is beyond business as usual—service that is indeed memorable. 

Being memorable occurs at each point of customer contact and is constantly reinforced;  therefore, every step and every point of contact is a part of the portfolio of experiences that make up the impression of your service. Getting to WOW is about understanding those relationships and building an organization that lives that commitment every time. 

It All Starts with a Spark

Think about a fireworks display. You see the darkness of the night, punctuated by stars and you hear the low voices of excitement as people wait for the show to begin. You see the wonder in their eyes, jaws slack with amazement as the colors whirl and swirl in the air. Then there’s the soft but so powerful sound of the “oohs” and “aahs.”

Isn’t that the sense of amazement that you want your customers to have when they do business with you? We know that patients aren’t coming for enjoyment, but we do know we want them to say, “I won’t go anywhere else.” That loyalty is what WOW is all about. 

To take that fireworks display from a spark to an entire show, to move your service levels from good to WOW requires all of these elements:

We all love service. And, we all know that healthcare hasn’t necessarily been known as customer-centric. Yet, as we at Corporate Health Group read Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience by Jonathan Tisch, we continue to recognize that healthcare can learn from other organizations that have developed a customer experience philosophy that serves as a key differentiator.

“Today’s consumers are looking for a relationship with an organization that will truly enrich their lives,” writes Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. Using his own experiences as an hotelier and his observations of high-performing customer-oriented organizations, the author demonstrates how companies are breaking away from the crowd to provide customers with experiences that are unique, memorable, delightful, comfortable and deeply rewarding. In short, these companies deliver an experience that leads to loyalty—a rare commodity in these trying economic times.

Just as removing the wrapper on a piece of chocolate reveals a tasty morsel, Tisch provides thought-provoking examples from companies of various industries, sizes and models. In doing so, he brings to light innovative ways to create stronger, longer-lasting ties with customers.

Tisch provides lots of “Your Big Aha’s” in each chapter. We’ve selected a few of our favorites to help you tweak your customer service philosophy, while also building your brand, strengthening customer relationships, customizing client experiences and leveraging technology.

Read the complete article >>

PLUS: Green Eggs and Ham: Motivation Management Made Easy With Sam-I-Am

By Anne W. West, founder and president of the Atlanta-based consulting firm Strategic Communication Counsel

As a manager, you’re expected to motivate your team and produce results. Those results might be in the form of physician visits, referrals made, procedures scheduled, Web site visits, marketing impressions or registrations for an event. Regardless of the goal, it’s your job to keep the staff going until it’s achieved.