Client delight is in the details
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently spent time in Southern Italy for 6 weeks. And over that period, I stayed in seven Airbnbs. Most were four or five nights, and one was two weeks.
With that variety, there were subtle differences that made themselves known.
And with them some takeaways for your business.
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Everyone starts with a wish list.
For me with Airbnbs on that trip, it’s included things like:
Location
Safety
Wi-Fi
Laundry
Good hair dryer
Decent bed and ditto for the bathroom
Depending on the location, an elevator (I have one big, heavy bag)
Outdoor space (which I lack in NYC)
Or a fabulous view
And when the stars align, both
These were my must-haves. If any of them are missing, I move on.
And I always do a “gut check.” How does the place feel to me? If it’s “off,” I’ve learned not to question it. Next.
Ditto, if a place I’ve saved to my favorites isn’t available when I go to book it. That meant it wasn’t meant for me and there was an even better place that was.
Think about this for your business
What is on your potential client or customer’s wish list?
What will they not compromise on (their must-haves)?
What does this tell you about their needs and the alignment with what you have to offer?
How can you use this knowledge to create an “optimal listing” to attract your dream “guest”?
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Turn your “guests” into fans.
Then came the experience. What was it actually like to stay in the place?
Some of the considerations listed below are obvious. Others are “the little things” that make a big difference.
For my Airbnb stays, a few factors went into this
Accuracy of the listing:
Did the apartment match the description?
Did it match the photos?
Communication:
How proactive were they?
Did they offer to arrange transportation or explain tricky directions?
How responsive when I had questions or issues?
Greeting / Welcome:
Did someone greet me
Did they explain where things are in the apartment
And how things work (if you missed the email from 2 weeks ago, check it out and you’ll understand)
The little things:
If there were stairs, did they help with my bag
Coffee and olive oil — it’s Italy, you cannot survive here without both
A bottle of water in the refrigerator
A bottle of wine and snacks or a bowl of fruit left on the counter
Dish and laundry detergent
Flexible check-in and/or check-out when feasible
Information about the location (a bigger little thing, so it stands alone):
Where to eat
Where to shop for groceries
What sights to see
How to get around
All of the rentals did most of the above, two of the five delivered all of the above.
I left rave reviews for those two and good reviews for the other three.
Think about this for your business
I know you want rave reviews. For the reviews themselves, yes.
But also because you want to delight your clients and customers. You want them to be excited by all you deliver that is beyond their expectations.
Here are some questions to inspire you:
What do you promise when you market and sell your offerings?
What is your onboarding or delivery process?
Do you share how you work?
Do you share what they can expect?
What is your communication process and are you communicating that?
What instructions or tools do you include?
What information do you share?
What introductions or connections can you make?
What “little things” do you do that raise the level of your product or service beyond your audience’s expectations?
Get really honest with yourself.
This process is intended for you to identify the gaps and fill them in a way that only you can.
Let yourself go a little wild here.
The result will be a delighted client or customer who can’t wait to tell other people about you.
And you’ll feel great about what you deliver. #gold
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If you want to dramatically improve your delight factor, I can help.
Check out my VIP Intensive. We can level up your client experience in a day.
And you’ll be empowered with this key aspect of your business moving into 2024.