"At Disney World,
we wanted our customers to have one thought in mind when they left at the end of
their trip: 'I can't wait to go back!'" says Dennis. "That's because Disney
doesn't sell rides. It sells an experience. One of the biggest opportunities we
have as service-based organizations is to have an 'experience mentality' versus
a 'task mentality.'" The result, he says, is that your clients feel valued,
appreciated and understood rather than feeling "processed."
Here are three
strategies salons can borrow from Disney to provide amazing, experience-based
customer service:
1. Look at everything through the lens of the customer.
"Sometimes, the best things you can do to
improve customer service are completely free," says Dennis. "It's not always
about the money you spend; it's about understanding where your client is coming
from." Dennis suggests sitting down with your team members and having a dialogue
about your salon's key offerings--a haircut, a nail service, a shampoo, etc.--and
mapping them out through the lens of your client. "For each service, ask your
team to talk about what mediocre service would look like," he says. "Then talk
about what excellent customer service would look like. You'll be amazed at some
of the ideas you come up with."
Before Dennis was a
Disney exec, he started his career with the company as a ride operator, and
shared that customers would often ask questions that seemed annoyingly obvious.
"'What time does the 3 o'clock parade start?' was a frequently-asked question,"
he says, "and I had to remind myself to think through the lens of the customer
and realize they probably wanted to know what time the parade actually arrived
at that particular spot in the park, not what time it began. Don't assume your
customer always knows everything you know."
2. Create moments of wow.
"Little
moments can add up to an outstanding client experience," says Dennis. "You don't
know how much of an impact these little things can have." According to Gallup,
Dennis explains, you have the opportunity to wow your client only when you reach
the top two tiers of their customer satisfaction pyramid. "The bottom two tiers
are called dis-satisfiers--you lose points if you don't do them, but you don't
get any points for doing them. They're the lowest expectations and you can't
build up to the next level without first satisfying them."
If a salon were
to implement this pyramid, the "accuracy" tier would be satisfied by being
knowledgeable about your products and services. The "availability" tier refers
to overall staff availability including wait times in the salon, hold times on
the phone and whether a client is able to book with the stylist they want. You
reach the "partnership" level when you remember details about your customers'
lives and show genuine interest in their well-being. Finally, the "advice"
tier--the highest tier--can be reached when you teach your guest something they
didn't know before. "Show them how to create a style at home, or give them tips
for using the new product they bought," says Dennis.
3. Pay attention to the details because everything
speaks.
"From the appearance of the work
stations to the waiting area, everything in your salon speaks to the client,
whether good or bad," Dennis says. "And don't forget about your 'attitudinal
backstage' either. When things like gossiping happen in front of clients, it
ruins the entire experience." Dennis suggests sitting down with your team and
creating a list of your top 10 'everything speaks distraction.' Then, for every
distraction, come up with an 'everything speaks
commitment.'
