Clear Communication

Building a lasting relationship requires clear and consistent communication.  Communication means listening to your customer or client, as well as conveying your own message.  One-sided communication is a speech, mutual communication is a conversation.  Communicate when things are going well and when there are problems. Listen to your customers requests and take action.  Solicit feedback from them on a regular basis to get a pulse check on how your team is performing.  When there are problems, provide the scope of the challenge and your solutions, preferably before the customer even knows that the problems exist.  This builds credibility, confidence and trust.

Understand Your Customer’s Goals

The products or services that you provide are only meaningful in the context of your customer’s objectives.  Find out what is important to your customer and how your product or service aligns with their goals.  Understand and communicate your value from the perspective of the customer. Be aware of changes that may affect the customer requirements and your perceived value so you can adjust accordingly.

Be Consistently, Consistent!

One of the best ways to manage expectations is to be consistent.  Providing service that varies throughout the day, can have your customers losing confidence and trust in the experience.  Be consistent with your quality, your service and delivery of goods or services.  Establish a routine schedule for communication with your most important customers and checking in to ensure you and your team are on track.  Consistency links back to training, hiring and routines – do you have the proper training programs to ensure your team (whether new or experienced) delivers on exceeding your guest’s expectations? If not, you need to establish these procedures now.

Build Credibility

There are two easy ways to build credibility. First, do what you say you are going to do. If you leave a message to call back or make a commitment for follow-up, then call when you said you would call.  Even if you do not have all the answers, call when you commit to call back.  The second way to build credibility is to take time to get the best answer.  Sometimes you may not know the best response to a situation or request.  Ask for time to research and come back with the most accurate answer or information that you can obtain. Taking time for accuracy can be far more beneficial to your customer than a quick but incorrect reply.

Surprise and Delight your Customers

Give your customers something more than expected. Go above and beyond!  Don’t tell them in advance, just do something to demonstrate your appreciation for their continued business.   Make it personal, this will have the biggest impact.  It can be as simple as a handwritten greeting card, email or small token to show your appreciation.  Loyalty is a relationship, and it should be nurtured as you would care for a friend.  Do not take it for granted.

Our Pinnacle Consulting team has over 25 years experience in supporting businesses to build a loyal customer base.  Now, more than ever, you must attract and engage with your local community.  Call us today for a free consultation to learn more about our services and how we can partner with you and your team to drive success.  Morgan@hospitalityconsulting.co