Archive for the ‘Customer Experience’ Category

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are success metrics that help a business define and measure progress towards its established goals.   They are quantifiable measurements that the leadership team defines as the critical items that will move the organization forward and highlight areas that are not performing.

As quantifiable measurements, KPIs must focus on true numbers as a way to measure performance vs. the intangible “to be the best at customer service”.  Therefore, it is important that you first create a standard or baseline from which to measure going forward.  For example,

• A call center may have a standard on the amount of time a customer can wait on hold or how many rings a call must be answered by.
• A sales organization can measure against a sales quota
• Human resources can measure against profit per FTE and turnover rate
• Technology can measure against reducing labor hours
• Manufacturing can measure number of units rejected.

Bottom line, the target needs to be clear enough so everyone understands what they are being measured on but realize many things are measurable so you want to make sure to select measurements that are key to the organization’s success.  So I recommend no more than five for the overall organizational health and each department or area will have three to five under that.

When defining KPIs first think about:

• What specifically you want to measure – including baseline or standard
• The calculation to measure  in specific units or dollars
• Target you would like to achieve.

For example,

KPI:  Employee Turnover – The total number of employees who leave the company for any reason:  Termination, resignation vs. count at beginning of year

Calculation:    Total # of employees who left divided by the total number of employees at beginning of year

Target:  Reduce Employee Turnover by 5% per year.

Once you have good Key Performance Indicators defined,  you can use them as a performance management tool to drive performance throughout the organization.  KPIs give everyone from the leadership team down to the rank and file, a clear goal and picture of what is critical to the organization and what they need to do to make your business accelerate.  Create a culture around KPIs, train on them, engage employees in conversations about them and make them visible to the entire organization.

When is the last time you reached out to your customers to show them the love?  Too often, we get so consumed with the day to day; we forget to build simple customer appreciation into our marketing.  We forget to tell the customer that we are here to serve, we thank you for your business and we appreciate you.  To create a loyal customer base, it is important that we have this open communication with our customers on a regular basis.  Customer loyalty only happens when you connect emotionally and develop a relationship that is deeply rooted in their subconscious brains.  Today’s customers are looking for great value, strong experiences and convenient shopping.  Here are 3 actions you can take to show your customers the love.

1.       Contact them to say “how are we serving you?”

So many times, we get so busy that we forget to reach back out to our customers to make sure we are doing right by them.  Take this time to check in with you customers and ask them how you and your team are doing serving them and to find out what you can improve upon.  You can also use this time to ask if there is any other way you can serve their needs.  Remember, today’s customers are looking for convenience.

2.       Surprise them with a small gift to say “thank you.”

When is the last time you randomly reached out to your customers just to say thank you for the business?  The two simple words can make all the difference in your business and your quest to create loyal customers.  You customers want to hear from you and simply committing to this action a few times a year, will make a huge difference.  Customers love something for free.  It enhances the experience and often will bring a smile to their face, so send them a small gift that says “thank you”.

3.       Offer them something more to say “we appreciate you!”

Customers want value and they want to feel special.  Competition for their business is so strong you want to make sure they the only message they hear is yours so continually add value and show your existing customers that you appreciate them.  Add more bonuses and benefits to your programs or more ad on’s to your products and services.

The quest for customer loyalty is an ongoing battle so make sure you are in the fight.  Treat your existing customers like royalty and let them know how special they are to you.  Studies have shown that it costs twice as much to secure new customers than it does to keep your existing customers so take this opportunity to turn your existing customers into loyal fans.  Create an emotional connection, add tremendous value, and show them you appreciate them.

Tomorrow starts Customer Service Week (Oct 3 – 9) – “Officially it ends the 7^th, but with technology and 24/7 businesses… you should celebrate all week.

Accelerating your business is about creating standards and holding your people accountable for achieving those standards… it’s about evolving your business to the next level and now is the perfect time to raise your standards on customer service.

Here are some tips:

1)      Set reasonable standards – people want to succeed so create a standard that moves forward but within reach.  It should be challenging but achievable.  To help anchor the behavior into your staff, I recommend that you set your staff up for success so they can experience what a win feels like.

 2)      Communicate, Communicate again and again – Your team need to know the new standards, need to understand them and need to feel they have the right tools to deliver on your expectations.  Train your staff and show them exactly how you would achieve the standard.  By jumping in the trenches and listening to the field, you will not only gain valuable information on the service side of the business, but create an atmosphere of trust with your staff.

 3)      Inspect what you expect – it is easy to go back to old ways so be sure to set up a process that inspects what you expect from your teams.  As a business owner, you should be receiving regular feedback from your customers and using each touch point as an opportunity to build your brand.  Remember, strong customer service is the strongest marketing you can utilize to grow your business and build your brand.  Read:  5 Important Things to Ask Your Customers

 4)      Make it fun – change is hard for some people.  So, make this change fun.  Use this as an opportunity to create a culture that strives for excellence.  Create contests and recognition programs for employees.

Additional Reading:

“Navigating the Changing Winds… 6 Master Strategies to Build Customer Loyalty”

“Give ‘Em the Pickle”

“Three Ways to Retain Your Customers”

If your small business doesn’t have a loyalty program or rewards system, perhaps you should consider the fact that it costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it does to get a current one to come back and do business with you again.

According to recent marketing research, almost 80% of people carry one or more loyalty cards. There are frequent-flier programs, frequent-buyer programs and frequent-dining coupons, as well as prize giveaways and charity donation schemes. They are all designed to get customers to spend more, shop more frequently, increase their purchases or refer other customers to the business.

Basically, there are four types of loyalty programs:

• Membership Programs: Customers get special pricing or other perks for joining a “club.” Read the rest of this entry »

So many business owners believe that they offer the best customer experience possible.  In my research I am finding that some are absolutely correct with a complete focus on the customer and the creation of a memorable experience.  But on the other hand, some are so far removed from the customer that I don’t think they know what exactly a good experience would be.  What is ironic is that these same owners really believe that they are #1 in customer service and are providing an unbelievable customer experience and are usually shocked when the customers leave and don’t return.

Is it possible to be too close to your business that you are not objective in your evaluation of your customer’s experience?

What are you doing to create the ultimate customer experience and why do you think it is special? 

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