6 steps to maximise your customer experience

Don't make your customers wait

Whether standing in line to gain entry, waiting for someone to answer the phone or waiting for your attention, no one likes to wait, especially when they are paying money for your service.

It's always best practice to acknowledge your customers as soon as they enter and thank them for their patience if they've been waiting. But that doesn't solve the problem; instead, think about how you can minimise wait times. For example, if your customers need to check in, why not streamline that process? Or, rather than manually taking bookings over the phone, get your customers to book directly online, saving you time by freeing up your reception staff.

The two-metre rule

Ever been to a great hotel where every staff member who makes eye contact with you, greets you? Most good hotels use the two-meter principle, which is when a guest is within two metres, staff are expected to greet them. Similarly, it is an important part of rapport building to acknowledge and greet every customer the same way.

If you find that you're often tied down in manual admin work when your customers are within two metres, perhaps it's time to look at ways of automating some of those tasks, so you can spend more time engaging with customers and building relationships.

Know returning customer's names

Once you've got the two-metre rule down, it's time to start adding a personal touch. This might sound easier than it is, especially if your business has hundreds of regular customers.

Rather than expecting staff members to remember the names of every customer, consider implementing a system that displays your customers' names as they check in. Your customers will definitely appreciate this extra touch.

Touch base with your customers regularly

Beyond the meet and greet and remembering their names, it's important to be proactive and have regular check-ups with your customers. To foster great relationships, provide updates on their progress and listen to any of their concerns. Create recurring reminders in your calendar with topics to be covered, or look for a software program that schedules these reminders based on the last time you had a customer check-up.

Make it easy for your customers to transact with you

Provide your customers with an easy way to transact with your business. Look at offering automated payment options that allow them to self-manage their transactions, such as booking, moving, canceling, or creating make-up sessions. If your business sells retail goods, consider alternatives in case, for example, your customer has forgotten their wallet - can you charge their account instead? These simple solutions remove administration from conversations with your customers.

Meet new customers at the door

Make your new customers feel welcome and relieve them of any anxiety as soon as they arrive. Think of ways you can notify your reception staff of the arrival of new customers and make sure they are greeted, welcomed and shown around. First impressions are everything. Look at software programs that flag new customers to reception staff so they are easily identified and welcomed accordingly.