An Important Lesson Learned from Dining at Fine Restaurants: This One Tip Can Differentiate You from Your Competition!
I have to tell you… I’m a sucker for a nice restaurant. I enjoy everything about fine dining. There’s so much more to it than the exceptional food and drinks. There’s the atmosphere—the dim lighting, well designed and furnished restaurants, the perfect music. I also enjoy the professionalism of the dining staff. Dining a fancy restaurant isn’t just eating, it’s an experience to be remembered.
Why can’t be provide the same type of experience for our customers? Instead of getting to the door of a customer, briefly introducing yourself, quickly diagnosing the problem, and working as fast as possible to get to your next call, let’s sloooow down!
If you leave a customer’s home in a flash, they might be impressed that you worked quickly, but I sincerely doubt they’ll qualify as being a great customer service experience. And the next time they need an electrician, you’ll be lucky if they remember your name.
It’s important to take time with your customers. Ask them questions about their home and electrical system. Discover if they’ve experienced other problems that they might have forgotten about—until you asked.
When dining at a nice restaurant, waiters often ask if you’re celebrating a special occasion. If you are, it’s not uncommon for them to surprise you with a complimentary dessert. It adds to the dining experience! Create a service experience for your customers—make small talk with them. Get to know your customers. Ask about hobbies or talk local weather and sports. Build a relationship! Tell them about you. Let them connect with you!
Finally, look for opportunities to go above and beyond what any other company would do—so much so that your customers will never forget you. It doesn’t take much. For example:
- bring up a person’s trash cans from the street
- bring up the newspaper
- take the time to sweep a customer’s entire floor after a job—not just your little work area
- change a burnt out light bulb
- change the batteries in a smoke detector
- walk or play fetch with their dogs!
Those little things leave a lasting image in people’s minds!
You’re in a competitive industry. But our industry isn’t any more competitive than the restaurant industry. Those restaurants that have been open for decades always deliver exceptional food—but they also deliver an exceptional experience. Find a way to deliver an exceptional experience for each and every one of your customers.
