This post is the sixth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The sixth advantage is to provide pleasant surprises.
One of the ways to elevate your customer service quality—and distinguish your business from competitors—is to provide pleasant surprises to your customers.
Have you ever received an unexpected upgrade, a complimentary appetizer, or some other pleasant surprise that you were not expecting? How did it make you feel? I bet you can recall many details from the experience—probably because you have shared the story with others many times.
Last week, my wife and I dined at Vesta Dipping Grill in downtown Denver. Our server provided us with an unexpected chef’s taste—also known as an amuse-bouche (a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre intended to amuse the mouth and invigorate the palate). The pleasant surprise was a tomato coconut curry soup served in a demitasse cup.
For a nominal cost, the restaurant—in a departure from the ordinary—made a positive lasting impression. And when restaurant guests are enticed to order a cup or bowl of the soup, the restaurant has actually increased its average check by providing a low-cost pleasant surprise.
Not all pleasant surprises cost money. If a hotel guest is granted early access to or late departure from his room, the hotel has provided a pleasant surprise that cost nothing. Similarly, if a gate agent chooses to upgrade a passenger to an empty economy plus seat with more legroom, there is no hard cost to the airline but a positive lasting impression has been made on the customer.
Sometimes a pleasant surprise is as simple as having your phone call answered on the first ring, having your group accommodated at a popular restaurant without a reservation, or not having to wait for your suitcase at the baggage carousel.
Just like each of the preceding customer service advantages highlighted in this series, providing pleasant surprises rarely happens by accident. More often, it results from anticipating needs, careful planning, and a deliberate choice to elevate the customer experience.
What are some ways that you have provided pleasant surprises to customers—or experienced them yourself as a customer?
