Focus on creating an experience and delight them - always!

Let me narrate an incident or, rather, an experience with all of you.

After the recent holiday, as my son was picking up the suitcase from the conveyor belt, its zip ripped open. A stickler for resolving things, I took the defunct suitcase to our local repair shop run by an elderly gentleman who happens to be 60+, Kadam Kaka. However, I saw his two sons as I approached the repair shop. As my turn came, one of Kadam Kaka's sons attended to my suitcase, assessed the requirement, and started repairing it immediately. A conversation ensued, and I inquired about the whereabouts of Kadam Kaka. The young lad informed me about Kadam kaka's passing away a couple of months back. The son completed the repair and quoted Rs. 30/- as his fee. That is exactly how much his father would charge. And this interaction dumbfounded me - He could have charged me Rs. 100/- for the repair, and I would have still paid him without budging. I would have been charged a bomb if I had reached out to a branded shop for this repair. But here was this humble, simple and diligent lad who had decided to walk in the footsteps of his Dad and charge a customer only what he thought was his fee for the service provided.?

As I walked out of the workshop, I felt enriched by the experience and gained excellent life learning. The honesty, knowledge, and human touch made my day. And here I am writing about it.?

So, let me pose this question to you -

?When was the last time you had a positive service experience worth talking about??

These simple yet honest gestures surprise us because they are unexpected. They humanize the experience and, more importantly, create an impression that lasts for a long time, and we walk away talking about it.?Now put this in context with the corporate scenario. Think of the immense probabilities and the role Managers can play in creating unique clients' experiences.?

The Value of "Experience and Delight"?

What is experience, and what is delight? In terms of English - experience is to observe specific events; undergo a certain feeling or process; or perform specific actions that may alter one or contribute to one's knowledge, opinions, or skills. Similarly, delight means - something or someone that provides a source of happiness.?Now collaborate to provide experience and delight to your clients, employees, or any other stakeholder and imagine the "value creation".?

We all walk into a coffee shop now and then. When you walk into Starbucks, they greet you and take your order. They also mention your name on the coffee cup in case of a takeaway. Even though the process is for their ease of order, the moment they call out?your name, it makes it extra special. Have you ever thought about what makes you walk in every time??It's the experience and delight.?They could have put your bill number on the takeaway. But they take that?extra effort to call out your name!

My 2 bits on experience and delight:

• Understand what the "customer wants" rather than what you want to give.
• How can you differentiate between your brand and the others? Claim your "Share of voice."
• Focus on small things rather than waiting for a significant change to happen
• Value creation is critical and hence always keep innovation as a front runner

Every day, the customer needs are changing, and so are their perceptions. Spoilt for choice, they will always look for the closest mirror that mirrors their reflection.

Focus on creating an experience and delight them - always!