The Download on Delivering Delight

I recently attended a Richardson Chamber luncheon focused on “delivering customer delight.” The speaker, Steve Zipkoff, President/CEO of Zipkoff Solutions, discussed his primary premise: if you can delight – or give great pleasure – to customers and employees, they will stick with you forever. I thoroughly enjoyed his entertaining and engaging style, and walked away with some valuable tips that could lead to increased sales and profits, employee retention and improved morale. A few of them include:

1. Ensure you add value – not what you perceive it to be, but what your customers or clients perceive it to be. Show that you understand what is valuable in their eyes.
2. Become a quick-change artist – understand how to be adaptable. Your customers are changing all the time.
3. Behave like you’re in business for yourself – assume more personal responsibility for the success of your company, rather than focusing narrowly within the boundaries of your job description.

Since attending the luncheon, I’ve paid even closer attention to when I feel delighted by customer service. I found, in many cases I’m delighted by companies that seem to really know their target audiences and tailor their messages and service to them. Three that stand out for me lately:

1. Prescriptives – While I’ve missed their department store counters, I discovered I could order their products online. Not only was the shipping free, but they also offered me the choice of one of three free samples at the end of my order – an unexpected and nice surprise. They added value.
2. 1-800-CONTACTS – After trying to reorder contact lenses for my daughter, I found out her prescription had expired. Not only did I receive a personal email – from a real person – notifying me, but they also followed up with a phone call and actually scheduled an eye exam for her at a nearby, low-cost provider. They were adaptable.
3. Kim A Tailor – Kim literally transformed a dress for me (it needed to be a full size bigger!) after another tailor said it wasn’t possible. She was completely enthusiastic about the opportunity, welcomed the challenge and completed the alteration in just two days. Kim is in business for herself.

When it comes to client service, we should always strive to anticipate and exceed expectations. Each day I think about making sure I delight our clients in some way.

When have you been delighted by a company or customer service? What did you do as a result?