184: Building Stronger Customer Connections
We can reach anyone through technology, whether it be through social media, Slack channels, text, emails, etc., there is always a way to get through to someone, yet we are less and less connected. How can we truly connect with people in a meaningful way? Our guest is an expert in customer service through connection.
John DiJulius got his start owning and running a chain of upscale salons and spas in the mid-’90s and his business was repeatedly named one of the top 20 salons in America. John’s primary business, The DiJulius Group, is an international consulting firm. John also runs a non-profit, Believe in Dreams, which works with children in helping them achieve their dreams.
Ever gotten the, “Your call is important to us” message? You know it isn’t! The reality is, technology is not the enemy, but it does make it easy to eliminate the true human experience. Just take a look at social media, we feel much more connected to our old highschool buddies, but those relationships become much more shallow as we only see the highlights and not the nitty-gritty.
Naturally, as we rapidly grow, we cannot be as careful about who we hire into the company and that can really destroy the customer experience. Our customer-facing employee rarely understands the pain their target customer is facing. The valet parking the customer’s Maserati is not driving a Maserati himself. Consultants working with CEOs might not have ever been CEOs themselves. The first step is to help your employees understand what your customer is going through.
John uses Starbucks as an example; they were growing rapidly and everything was breaking at the seams. John worked with Starbucks to create a ‘day in the life of a Starbucks employee’ roadmap, which helped employees consistently give their presence, attention, expertise to their customers, no matter what struggles they were going through.
Interview Links:
The Relationship Economy: Building Stronger Customer Connections in the Digital Age, by John DiJulius III
Resources:
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