Mother’s Day is approaching and, right about now, your mom is most likely in your thoughts. She is a wonderful creature, isn’t she? The fact that she gave you the gift of life is probably the least of her accomplishments. It’s all the things she did after you were born that make her a real hero. It’s not a small feat to raise another human being. To be completely responsible for it for about 18 years. Love it unconditionally and be concerned about its well being for the rest of your life. If you think about it, your mom is out of this world.
At this point you might be wondering what exactly does you mom have to do with customer experience. The thing is, the stuff – you know, things like emotional intelligence and empathy – that make her a great mom would also make her great at customer experience. If your mom was into customer experience management she would be killing it. And here is why:
She genuinely cares
Your mom is invested in your happiness. She wants the best for you and will try to help you in any way possible. She strives to give you the means to reach that state of happiness. That caring attitude goes a long way when it comes to providing an exceptional customer experience. If you don’t genuinely care about your customers, they will know. If you are not wholeheartedly invested in their well being there is no chance you will keep them satisfied, let alone wow them.
Mom is on top of things
Moms are extremely well organized. They keep themselves in the loop about what is happening in their offspring’s life. And when that information is not readily available they will go to extreme lengths to obtain it (by calling your best friend, or your girlfriend’s roommate). That process takes patience and determination but it’s for a good cause. As a customer experience professional, you need to do the same. Well, almost. No need to go as far as calling your customer’s best friend. That’s insane. And probably illegal. Stick to what you know works. Use for example surveys. There is no chance you can give your customers a memorable experience if you don’t know anything about them. Can you delight your customers if you are not aware of their expectations and preferences? Just like your mom, you should put a lot of effort to stay on top of things and familiarize yourself with all the details that make each customer special.
Your mom is there when you need her
It might be a few days or weeks or months since the last time you called your mom. But you know that no matter what she will be there when you need her. I know examples of moms who had no idea what social media were but still created a Facebook account and learned how to use it (better than me) just to stay in touch with their children. Now, that is remarkable. Following in your mother’s footsteps, you should also make yourself available and accessible to your customers. Being uncommunicative or irrelevant is the fastest way to lose your customers to the competition.
Mom goes the extra mile
Do you remember that time your mom spent all Saturday morning baking you a special cake for your birthday party? Or that other time she sent you a care package while you were away in college? Well, your birthday party would have been just as fun without the handmade cake. The point is, she didn’t have to do all those extra things for you. You would have survived without them. But she did go the extra mile just for you. Your customers deserve the same treatment. They expect to be delighted by your brand and surprised by your service. If you don’t get into the trouble to show your customers that you value them for their business, somebody else will.
So, go ahead, learn from your mom and treat your customers the same way she treats you.