What World Class Looks Like

Business is about people helping people. Genuine human connection is like fertile ground on which to develop long-term and lasting relationships.

Imagine road-tripping across the country on a hot, humid, sunny day with your spouse & children (and grandkids, if you have them); and while everyone is fully engaged in their entertaining devices, the AC in your white 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon goes out. How would that make you feel?

The road sign that you’ve just passed says the next town is 45 miles away, Google Maps confirms it, and you are pulling up to a construction zone that’s a several miles long. SUV full of hot, less than excited people, an hour away from physical relief from this hot mess of a situation. Still feeling it?

You get to an old worn-down service station. When you open the door and get out, you immediately feel the cool air from the fans the station owners installed under the awning—they pull cool air from the building and blow it out to customers as they get out of their vehicles. Is this place really worn-down orcould it be broken-in?

Walking in to the store, you are greeted by the sweet aroma from the fresh-fruit smoothie stand not far from the entryway. Strawberry, banana, mango, and a hint of cinnamon all combined to make an exotic fragrance that has penetrated the frustrated state of mind you’ve been put in for the last hour and allowed the rays of possibility and wonder to provoke your thoughts. It appears like you have forgotten the reason you’ve come to this broken-in service station; you were reminded by the present of a ton of things that are going right at this moment. Where did this good feeling come from?

At the same time as the explosion of aroma-provoked-positive-thinking, you hear a soft, friendly, southern voice say,

“Hey! How’s it going? Welcome!”

You see the attendant standing before you smiling as they welcome you into their unique oasis.

“Do you know a good mechanic? Our AC went out?” You hopefully ask.

 They reply, “The owner has a garage out back for just this type of situation. Would you like a smoothie while you wait?

By the way,” they say, “the smoothies are on the house today, how many are in your SUV? That must have been a rough drive today!”

Is this for real? World-class service from the unlikeliest of destinations? Imagine that.

Oftentimes, unfortunately, business owners and managers get lost in the day-to-day tasks and forget to invest their time into the lifeblood of their business: their customers.

Here are 3 questions to consider when evaluating how world-class the delivery of your customer experience is…

Are we connecting?

Like the fans the station-owner installed so that their customers felt relief from the heat on hot and humid days, we too can think of ways to connect with how our customers are feeling or addressing the emotions they may be experiencing right before the business interactions transpire.

To viscerally connect with customers is to succeed in business. Genuine human connection is emotional and when you create an emotionally intelligent connection, you inspire loyalty!

Are we serving?

Like the fresh fruit smoothies the attendant gave away, like the entry way fans, like the station owners service garage kept for these types of situations, we too can find opportunities to serve. It cost absolutely nothing to give a smile a way. That’s the best place to start.

When we generate joy and seek to infuse it into each interaction with each customer, we impact lives. This is service.

Service is also listening to our customers. Give them time to speak so that we can hear their needs and address them appropriately. The most valuable thing you can give a person is your time. Make the investment.

Are we influencing?

Were you influenced by the service station experience?

If we don’t stand for something we will fall for anything, so take a stand. It is imperative to have guiding principles that point our organizations towards the future. Staying true to correct principles like integrity, vision, work, and accountability is a great way to develop influence.

Be transparent, bring value every time, and give back to your community. When we are connecting and serving, we are developing influence.

A great place to start is with your local chamber of commerce. Find out who is who and how to get involved.

And then…

The world-class broken-in service station owner came out while your family enjoyed their delicious fruit smoothies.

He charged your AC and you paid him his fee. You didn’t complain that it was $25 more than the place 3 miles further down the road.

You even checked-in on Facebook (like his attendant recommended) and got 10% off and another 5% off for joining their monthly newsletter.

The crazy thing is that you wanted to sign up.

That is what world-class looks like.

A world-class experience can start well before a person ever steps foot into your business. The challenge is raising awareness.

How do strangers find out about your business?

The better question is, “How do they fall in love with the idea of doing business with you sooner?”

The answer is: an effective social media marketing and internet advertising strategy.

This includes crafting campaigns with messages that inspire emotion by telling your brand story to your ideal audience.

This also means engaging with your audience.

Imagine how different the parable would have been if the service station attendant didn’t acknowledge their customer. How would have the outcome been impacted?

This principle holds true online. When customers engage with your content, acknowledge them. Say hello, welcome to my oasis!

Thank you taking the time to consider this insight into delivering a world-class experience. If you have found this article useful and valuable, please share it with 3 people.