This thought came from Tiffany Bova’s great book “Experience Mindset.” I have to admit, lately I haven’t really been just pulling out a random card, but would use my morning conversations with clients as inspiration for topics – then shuffling through the deck to pick one with the most relevance.
Today, we were talking about loyalty programs in hospitality, and them basically being a way of “paying” customers to do business with you. My conversation counterpart here was a CEO with decades of experience in the hospitality industry around the globe. We talked about empowering employees to improve the customer’s experience as they see fit in the moment, rather than relying on some kind of structure.
As a case in point, I learned of the Pret-A-Manger approach (staying with a hospitality example) from Chip and Dan Heath’s The Power of Moments. From what I read there, the employees there have an “allowance” of free items they can give away to customers at their own discretion. Whether it is to solve a problem, reward a customer for being nice, or just to make someone’s day…. I’m in love with that concept! Compare this approach with getting points and “earning” free coffee. The stark difference is between creating an entitlement, rather than an opportunity for a pleasant surprise and a moment of connection between the employee and the customer. Pret-A-Manger empowers the employee to make their own decision on how to apply this power – and it is, without question, a power – to just do something nice for someone.
This effect is of course obvious in the hospitality industry where EVERYTHING hinges on the experience. The results show in customers coming back and spreading the word, but also employees staying longer in times of severe labor shortage. However, it applies well beyond this industry.
I believe any customer facing team member should have the power to help the customer without having to ask for permission. Simply say “you can spend up to x amount of dollars to solve a customer problem as you see fit without the need for approval.” The manager then may have a bigger budget for bigger issues, but the principle has been established. This can be applied basically in any industry.
The beauty of this kind of approach is the effect had not only on the customer, but also the employee, experience and satisfaction. A crucial part of the employee experience is the feeling of making an impact. Team members empowered to make positive impacts on the customers will do just that – with predictable results on customer satisfaction and retention.
How can you apply some of those principles in your organization, improving customer AND employee experience together?
