Why "Wow!" is the Wrong Measure for Relocation Service Success

Someone smart (I'm not sure who) once said, "Your brand is how you make people feel." When it comes to feelings, there are those who argue that the objective of a customer service experience should be to make customers feel like shouting, "Wow!" I am all for first-rate service, but I am a bit wary of this movement to turn customer service into the pursuit of an exclamation. 

By establishing a target that is, in most instances, not attainable, this focus on "Wow!" sets service teams up to experience a sense of failure. How many times a day, or a week, or even a month, can we "Wow!" a customer?

For the sake of our relocation service teams, we need to ease back on the hype and admit that opportunities to "Wow!" a customer are few and far between. "Wow!" is a moment, but relocation is a drawn-out series of customer touch points. Because our service evolves over time, and not in a single interaction, we may do well to focus on leaving our customer smiling rather than doing cartwheels. 

Like winning a sports championship, or saving and investing money, or completing an impactful work project, customer satisfaction in the world of relocation is a matter of consistent, dedicated attention to the little things. It is the sum of these day-to-day moments of interaction which form a lasting impression on our customers. 

"Wow!" is a moment. Relocation is a drawn-out series of customer touch points.

Often these interactions are routine, and therein lies an opportunity. The routine is where customers are so often let down by service providers. An insurance agent neglects to return a call. A repairman shows up late. A bank representative responds to our email without answering our main question. In this distracted service environment, handling routine matters with competence and courtesy can distinguish a service provider and allow them to stand out from the inattentive crowd.  

Starting every email with a greeting, "Dear Mr. Latrell," and always closing with an invitation, "Please don't hesitate to let me know if I can be of further assistance," won't cause a customer to spring from his desk chair and burst into song. Bringing an umbrella on a home search in anticipation of rain is not likely to elicit shouts of joy from an assignee. Instead, these small gestures accumulate to create the customer feeling that will define our brand.  

Imagine a stay at a five-star hotel in your favorite city. What is likely to make the stay memorable is not a single moment of over the top service, but rather a steady stream of positive interactions with service oriented staff. The front desk clerk who smiles and greets you by your last name, the immaculately cleaned room, the bedding turned back in the evening, the doorman who is right there to call you a cab, the attendant who hands you a towel as you step out of the pool, the well-placed dollop of cream on your dessert. Not a single "Wow!" action on the list and yet these small moments of attentiveness and consideration add up to a brand feeling that is bound to be memorable and positive.

So, when the opportunity arises, let's seize it and create a "Wow!" experience for our customers. But in the meantime, what if we take a few extra minutes to listen to our customer today? What if we proofread the itinerary before sending it? What if we tell our assignee what we will be wearing for the home finding so that she can more easily find us in the hotel lobby? What if we double check that work permit package we are submitting includes all of the necessary documents, or that we have reserved the lift for a delivery? Or what if we just say, "Please" and "Thank you" at every appropriate moment.  

Doing the little things well day in and day out is not glamorous. It can be a bit of a grind on certain days, and it won't often result in a "Wow!" But maybe success in relocation services is a bit more subtle than that.