While looking at laptop computers last week, I was offered something unexpected. One brand (think fruit) has a very attractive product – and the retailer provides something extra that was quite enticing. They run a series of free instore tutorials for their customers, showing how to get started with the product and the features and uses of some of their most popular software. Later, I dropped in to the local independent book seller, where I booked seats for a free presentation by a well known local author. It got me thinking about what more our business could do to educate and inform our customers. Good customer service should be more than reacting helpfully to what’s been requested. Done well, it’s about offering a better customer experience. What could you do to surprise your customers? Are there other ways you could you make it more beneficial to buy your product – or more enjoyable to deal with your company, not your competitor? Could you do more to help people use your products successfully?
Here are a few ideas:
- Information or product background sheets – add one to your product with relevant, quirky or unusual content, e.g., if your product is moisturiser, you could write about skin care products through history, how you select your ingredients and make the product and other ways to care for skin. Make it useful general information – not just about your product.
- Welcome packs – give each new customer a kit which includes a “What to do when” sheet about common problems faced by your customers.
- Informational video – put a TV in your waiting room which plays DVDs with educational content, not promotions, e.g., a physio might focus on good back care, a financial planner on issues with superannuation.
- Workshops or special events – run a free presentation about your area of expertise. Hardware stores have been doing this with handyman workshops for years.
If you can share information to make it easier to use your product, remove a frustration or improve understanding of a problem, customers are a lot more likely to value doing business with you. Better still if you can make it fun in the process. Check some of these suggestions and you’ve got a better than even chance they’ll come back for more.
