If knowing Customer needs gets your customers in the door, knowing what they value is what keeps them coming back. It shows them you not only see them, but you understand them. You know what’s important to them; you care about what’s important to them. You know what they value, and you act on it. And ultimately, that will keep your customers coming back.
On a fun mother-daughter Saturday, I took my daughter shopping. At the point we had made our way to the shoe department at Nordstrom, my six-year-old was over this shopping trip, and her behavior showed it. She was all over the place, bouncing off the chairs, picking up the display shoes, and generally doing just about whatever she could to let me know she was ready to go.
That’s when an employee came over to us. Of course, I thought she was going to frown at Ansley and politely ask me to get her under control. But instead, she knelt down at eye level to my daughter and started a conversation.
“Do you like this store?” she asked.
“No ma’am,” Ansley replied quickly.
“Well, we have to do something about that,” this employee replied with a smile. “Would you like me to grab you a treat from the café to help?”
I can’t explain to you what this simple offer did for me that afternoon. I was so impressed with the way this young girl interacted with my daughter. She not only saw me as a mom in that moment, but she knew what was important to me. She knew I needed some help with my daughter, and she went out of her way to deliver it. What I valued more than shoes that day was time with my daughter. The cookie this employee brought Ansley from the café created a moment that honored that value, and it made us both feel better.
Part of knowing your customer is recognizing what matters most to them in any given moment. It’s seeing what they value beyond the basics of why they’re with you and choosing to deliver on it however you can.
Remember learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? I studied that pyramid a lot in school! Knowing what a customer needs is the base level of the pyramid, but knowing what they value allows you to move up the pyramid to deliver more. It helps you build relationships. It allows you to make a positive impact. The more we operate on the most basic level with our customers, the more basic our services will be. But the more we move up the pyramid—the more we look at what they really value—the better we’ll be able to serve them as a whole.
If you’re a flight attendant, this could be a choice to recognize that your customer doesn’t just want to get from point A to point B, they want to feel safe and cared for in the process.
If you’re a server, it’s realizing that your customer doesn’t just want food in their stomach, they want to create a moment to share a meal with people they love.
If you’re a nurse, this could mean doing more than just caring for their physical ailments. It could mean caring for their mental and emotional wellbeing, too.
If you’re a swim instructor, it’s doing more than just teaching a toddler how to swim. It’s giving them the confidence to take with them as they try new things!
In whatever role you play in whatever industry you work, it’s choosing to see beyond the basics and act in a way that shows the customer you value what matters to them in the moment.
Continue learning and growing by ordering your copy of The Power of Customer Experienceand thebook club video series and user guide for your team.