It is tough to attract new customers. However, once you have them, you must never feel you can rest on your laurels to keep them.

The Two-Touch Method is an approach that suppresses the desire for customers to leave your business. If you are delivering on the promise you have given to the customer in regards to the product or service; this method will dramatically strengthen your relationship, so even if the competition approaches your customer, they will not want to leave you.

The first touch in the Two-Touch Method is with an internal co-worker. The intention should be to build a relationship with other team members in your organization. Getting to know something about what the team member likes to do outside of work: hobbies, talents, family, etc. Helping other team members get their job done easier by quicker response to requests for information, appreciation for their accuracy/availability, or pats on the back as a show of appreciation for something they have accomplished. By improving how you work together internally, the better external customers can be served. It doesn’t have to be big, but must be done on a regular basis. Every week, at least one internal touch should be attempted.

The second touch is with the customer. A phone call, an email, a quick note is sometimes all it takes to keep a relationship alive and for the customer to know you care about them. For example, my dog’s veterinary office called me last week after I had placed an order with an online company to purchase flea/tick medication. It required the vet’s approval and I had provided the contact information for them. All they had to do was give the okay for the order to be shipped. However, the office worker noted that it would be cheaper for me to purchase both the flea/tick medication with the heart worm medication vs. purchasing them separately. She was calling to see if I had noticed the bundled package would be less expensive before she okayed the order.

The differential was not a huge amount, but it provided an opportunity for her to create a touch point with me. By calling to discuss the order, she was able to let me know they were looking out for my best interests. One more reason to build my loyalty with this veterinary. Be vigilant. Review activities that could give you opportunities to make a customer touch point.

The cost of attracting a new customer is 3 to 5 times more than keeping the customer you have. By using this Two-Touch Method, you will be able to retain those current customers and in many cases they will help attract customers from your competitors because they will be raving how much they love doing business with you.

Such a quick interaction and yet, this security guard employee made a positive impression that went beyond just doing her job.  She used it as an opportunity to make someone’s day a little bit better.  I drove through thinking how lucky the neighborhood was that she is their first point of contact with their community.

Organizations are having a hard time these days finding frontline workers and so many are filling positions with any warm body they can find. The consequences though can be devastating to your business. The first person your customers meet in your business should be representative of your brand. This is the most important touch point as it forms an impression that may make the customer decide whether to do business with you or not.

Interview well to determine the personality of those employees you are hiring to be the face of your organization. And train in the manner you wish them to perform, don’t assume that what you perceive to be a simple job, will be inherently known how to do by the individual.

First impressions are lasting. And it may be your only chance to attract a new customer.

2. Show enthusiasm and energize others with your commitment to Service Excellence.

3. Exhibit a sense of urgency in achieving goals and objectives.

4. Encourage teamwork within your department and with other departments.

6. Hold yourself and your staff accountable to established defined acceptable behaviors.

7. Communicate with all levels of employees frequently and actively listen to their feedback and opportunities for improvement.

8. Tell stories to inspire creativity and innovation to enhance the student experience.

9. Celebrate little Wow’s to create a cumulative effect.

This weekend my husband and I went out to eat at two of our favorite restaurants. Both restaurants are very popular; one is a pizza place and the other is a breakfast diner. This weekend was no exception to their popularity as both were filled to capacity when we arrived; but in both cases we were seated very quickly. The assigned server came over, greeted us, and took our drink and meal orders not long after we were seated. But that’s the point when the great customer experiences started to unravel in each place.

We waited and waited and waited. We saw other tables who came after us and were served before us. We continued to wait. My husband grew more agitated and his body language showed it. The waiter at the pizza restaurant saw his irritation and within a couple of minutes he came over to our table and said he had checked on our order, it had somehow been misplaced, it was now almost complete though. He apologized for the delay and said he was taking the pizza off our final bill.

The same thing happened the next morning at the breakfast diner. This time, the waitress read my husband’s body language and directly came over to our table, apologized for the long wait and said she would be discounting our bill by half. Our meals quickly followed her apology.

In both cases, it was not necessarily the server’s fault that the meals were tardy, but the servers read their customer and were empowered to take service recovery action. By taking action quickly, the servers were able to deescalate negative feelings of a customer who felt ignored and unimportant. The servers could easily have placed the blame for the late meals on the kitchen staff, the busyness of the restaurant, or even the seating hostesses who sat us at the table before they were ready. But I applaud them both, because each one of them recognized the customer doesn’t care who is at fault internally; all they care about is “did you deliver what you promised when you said you would.” Everyone in an organization is part of the Team. Everyone is responsible for the customer experience and has a role. And because the server is the frontline staff in the restaurant, part of their role is reading the customer’s emotions and making sure they are taking the appropriate actions to ensure the customer is happy.

Are your frontline staff empowered to take quick action to turn around an unhappy customer? Do all your employees know they are a part of a Team? If the answer is NO to both these questions, a good customer experience strategy would be to start here.

1. Responsive. I have never had to wait more than five minutes to get a Vanguard representative on the phone. Other investment companies have had me on hold for literally over an hour before I can actually speak to a live human being.

2. Knowledgeable. Every rep has known their products, how to navigate their website, and more importantly – how to get things done in the most efficient manner.

3. Helpful. My last interaction with Vanguard needed a document scanned to them. I did not have access to my computer scanner at the time. The representative asked if I was using an iphone and if so, did I know it had a scanner in the Notes app? He said it was a feature he had just discovered after years of using an iphone and he would be happy to share how to use it. Wow! A little piece of advice that will be immensely helpful in a lot of ways.

The result is a very happy customer that is going to be a loyal customer for a long time. Three things that any company that wants to build loyal customers can set themselves up to do by training their employees and expecting execution. They really are not a secret now, are they?

BX basically puts the customer experience as a top priority for the CEO and ties it back to every department and every aspect of an organization’s operations. Many studies over the past 5 years have indicated that by 2020 the customer experience would be more important than price. One report: Customer 2020: A Progress Report even states that the customer experience overtakes price and product as the key differentiator.

“Unleashing Excellence – The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service” co-authored by Teri Yanovitch and Dennis Snow outlines how to structure the organization’s approach to do exactly what is now being touted as the new way to do business. The second edition was published by Wiley in 2003 almost 20 years ahead of its time! The book is a guideline for leaders and is simple and easy to follow. A website with free downloadable templates and examples accompany the book.

Your organization can become one of the leaders in this holistic approach to becoming customer-obsessed and ignite growth as the world starts to come out of this pandemic. BX pushes beyond the CX philosophy and involves everyone in the organization. Therefore, everyone has a stake in the game.

The first time I ordered from Chewy for my chocolate Lab named Doak, the phone agent immediately turned the conversation into a personal chat vs. an order transaction. She asked how he got his name and I found myself sharing the whole story of my son going to FSU, getting a dog, becoming a Seminole football fan, and ultimately naming the dog after their football stadium which is named the Doak Campbell stadium. By the end of this exchange, I felt I had a trusted friend at the other end of the line. She was very helpful in sharing advice of what I should be feeding my allergy prone older dog. When my order arrived, included was a handwritten note welcoming Doak to the Chewy family.

Since that first order, Doak has received not only holiday cards, but also little biscuits tucked in with each order. Recently, I became aware that Chewy has been sending some customers a free oil painting of their pet. It is sent unsolicited and randomly. Some customers get confused and send it back, but many who get one, share it on social media which gives Chewy free advertising.

Combining the Amazon-like quickness in delivery and the friendliness of a local pet store, Chewy is doing very well. They train their 2500 agents to be able to answer most pet questions and how to be super customer service friendly.

According to the Petco foundation, pet ownership is expected to continue growing as more people are staying home and working remotely. Chewy is quickly becoming a standout among the online pet store companies. The personal touch is definitely paying off as they continue to look for individualized and unique ways to turn pet parents into customers for life.

Looking through Lens of Student

Students are worried. They are worried that they will have to attend all online classes when they return to school and they miss the face to face classes. They are worried that the new scheduling will not have the classes available they need to graduate. They are worried they won’t be able to attend sporting events, social gatherings, and other interpersonal experiences. When you have a student that expresses such a feeling through a comment or their facial expression, sometimes the difference between delivering a satisfactory experience vs. a great experience is just acknowledging those feelings. Letting students know you care and are willing to look through their lens can go a long way.

Here are some helpful phrases to communicate understanding and empathy. The key is listening to the student and then sincerely responding with an appropriate reply perhaps starting with one of these phrases:

• Thank you for bringing this to our attention…

• I know we can help you…

• You were good to catch this problem…

• I can understand what you are saying about the situation…

• Yes, I see your position…

• I initially felt just as you do about it…

• I want to help you…

• Quite a few people feel that way…

• It does seem like it could be interpreted that way…

As colleges and universities are getting ready to open for late summer or fall classes, three essential steps to take to ensure both employees and students are as comfortable and confident of resuming their roles:

1. Emphasize your Higher Purpose consistently.

The higher purpose needs to be emphasized as you reinvigorate your institution to open up again. The higher purpose gets employees out of bed every morning, and motivates employees to go above and beyond. During a crisis, such as what we have experienced over the past several months, it’s easy to lose focus from the purpose as you just try to survive, but it’s important to constantly remind everyone why you are doing what you are doing. Consistent examples of when the higher purpose has been met should be regularly communicated to the full team of employees. They underscore how much you value being great, not just surviving. This focus attracts and retains respected employees as well as students.

2. Keep expectations clear.

Keeping expectations clear with students is important. For example, simply saying, “Our next steps are ‘X,’ and you can expect we will be back in touch by ‘Y’” can help set realistic expectations. Communication with employees to share information to assist in eliminating confusion must be of paramount importance.

3. Address known fears.

Students are worried about how difficult it will be to get into lecture hall classes due to potential limited capacity.
They are concerned about how many courses are now going to be offered strictly online to limit exposure. Online learning is more difficult for some students, but will the student have the choice to take certain classes in person?
Social activities, a big aspect for many students of their college years, will there be a limit to the number of people allowed to participate? What level of participation will be permitted?
These are just a few of the “known” fears. The key will be to address as many of them as quickly as possible and continue to have open forums that will identify these fears upfront and share the action that will be taken.

Opportunity to Make Change in Culture

Now is the time to redefine your university culture. When schools are given the go ahead to open again, for many it will be like starting over. If you weren’t happy with the culture you had, it will be a perfect time to create the culture you want. Delivering a student experience that wows and amazes the student will set your university apart from the competition. If this was not an integral part of the culture before, now is your opportunity to define very clearly your expectations of how students, administration, and staff are to be treated both internally and externally.

Here are 9 actions that leaders can do to redefine a new culture:

1. Develop a Service Philosophy and Service Standards that identify the emotional connection to be experienced by the student in every interaction and the behaviors that will bring about that feeling.

2. Make a plan on how to communicate this Service Philosophy and Service Standards on a consistent basis in all forms of meetings and media to ensure the message stays in the forefront of every employee’s mind.

3. Recruit new employees that are a right fit for this redefined culture. Ensure the interview and selection processes are geared to identify these individuals.

4. Design an orientation session that will reinforce the Service Philosophy/Service Standards and give examples of how they can be exhibited in various customer situations.

5. Educate past employees who come back that these are the new Standards that will be a part of everyone’s job from henceforth.

6. Set up a measurement base to collect data to guide progress. Examples could be student satisfaction surveys, student retention, responsiveness to student inquiries, student complaints, reduction of resolution callbacks, etc.

7. Create a recognition program to show appreciation and give applause to those employees who exemplify the Service Philosophy and Service Standards. Hopefully other employees will want to do the behaviors and receive the recognition. New norms of behavior will be created.

8. Identify obstacles that hinder the delivery of excellent service and remove them.

9. Hold everyone accountable through job descriptions and performance appraisals. Teach managers how to coach and counsel their employees on a daily basis to conform to the Service Philosophy and Service Standards.

This is your chance to leapfrog those other colleges and universities that will be looking to just get back processing students. With a little upfront planning now, you can not only get back to making students successful, but you can create a culture that will delight the student and build a strong branding that will lead to student loyalty.