I recently escaped for our family summer vacation. The beginning of the trip was the typical experience — stressful airport check-in and security lines, warm airplanes with a variety of scents lingering, long travel days with hungry teenagers in tow — but also lots of eager anticipation about the restful and fun days to come. Upon arrival at our hotel, we were greeted with warm, friendly faces that wanted to be sure we were taken care of from the start. I thought it was a great first impression but didn't realize how much the spirit of their customer service would extend into our stay.
From day one through the last day, this hotel exceeded our expectations when it comes to service. The staff anticipated needs and went the extra mile to make sure they left nothing undone. Every employee we interacted with had a smile but also an attitude of helpfulness that was genuine. No request was a bother. Their focus was truly to be sure we had a comfortable and enjoyable vacation and it worked! We came away feeling great about the stay and seeing value in what we paid for. In addition, we left with a high recommendation of the hotel to others who may have an interest in this destination.
In a world where the norm seems to be the 800-number service representative who is usually only slightly agitated at best, I was surprised at the level of customer service we experienced. It was refreshing and it got me thinking about our own business and the level of customer service we provide to our clients. Our clients are of utmost importance to us, and we want them to feel well taken care of and to also see the value in what we provide. I believe the key to this is in the level of customer service we provide.
In our minds, we are extremely customer-service-focused here at adWhite, but this is a good reminder for us to constantly self-evaluate and to seek feedback from our clients in this area to be sure. We want to ensure that excellence in customer care extends beyond the beginning of the engagement and through all seasons of the customer relationship.
We have an obligation to our clients to do what we say we’re going to do and to execute their inbound marketing activities to the best of our ability. We take great care in doing so, but when they feel it through our customer service, it’s a win-win. We believe that if we can show our customers our commitment to them and their results, then they will come away feeling that they’re getting not only what they paid for but even more.
Gary Vaynerchuck says it well in his book, The Thank You Economy:
“It’s very logical: There is proven ROI in doing whatever you can to turn your customers into advocates for your brand or business. The way to create advocates is to offer superior customer service.”
At adWhite, we are here to serve our clients and, when we do that with high-quality customer care, we know it serves them and us well.