In my recent blog about the Customer Experience snafu at Morton’s The Steakhouse I used the term ‘loyalty currency’.  It is actually a term that I made up, so I wanted to write about what I mean when I say loyalty currency.

I actually got the idea from the Covey concept of emotional bank account.  How by continuing to make deposits into that account, trust develops and counteracts any withdrawals that have been made in the past.    

It is similar to loyalty currency– making deposits into your customers’ loyalty account so that you build up currency.  Then, in the event that something goes wrong, you have that loyalty, that trust from your customers who you have treated well all along.

I completely understand that bad things happen to good companies.  But the trick is to be a good company in the first place.  You have to create and deliver a great customer experience every time. 

Doing this creates Promoters – loyal customers who prefer to do business with you, tell their friends & family to do business with you and who will give you another chance should you mess up.  Their loyalty account is full!

Not being dedicated to creating a great experience, creates Detractors - customers who are disenchanted with your company and not recommending you to anyone.  If you mess up, they will leave and be very vocal about their dissatisfaction.  There have been too many withdrawals in the past for your company to recover.

So in 2014, do two things:

1.Become dedicated to creating a great customer experience (making deposits into the loyalty account every time)

2.  Have a plan for handling the exceptions (they will happen and if you handle it properly, it will not be a withdrawal)

If you Google Morton’s Steakhouse Nashville you will see the latest on their recent customer experience snafu. 

Here is a quick breakdown of what happened:

              - They have a dress code that includes no hats
              -  A member in a large party got cold and put on a cap
              - They asked him to remove the cap – it was against policy
             -  The gentleman has cancer and was cold in the restaurant - why he wanted                 to wear the cap
             -  The Morton’s employees asked for a doctor’s note to make the exception

I recently celebrated a birthday and throughout the day I was given wishes of a great day, smiles & hugs and sincere interest for what I was going to do on My Day.

All of these things came from friends, family and even strangers.  As I showed my ID to make a purchase, the clerk would see the date and wish me a Happy Birthday.  Face book was very active with messages from friends all over the world, encouraging me to make it a great day.  My mailbox contained cards that made me laugh and feel loved.

And all of these well wishes, this personalized kindness towards me was wonderful to receive.  It was genuine; even a quick smile or nod from a stranger when they overheard it was my birthday, was intentional and meant for me.

This got me thinking...
As a professional who delivers workshops to corporations on providing a great customer experience, do I create a module entitled 'Treat them like it's their Birthday’?

And the answer was Yes.  Here is a sneak peek of what the module I am creating will present for my audience.  

These are the attributes I experienced throughout my recent birthday:
Kindness
Sincerity
Service with a smile
A warm greeting
A genuine Thank You as I was leaving
Interest in me and my time

All of these attributes can be replicated and delivered during the customer interaction. These are all intentional actions that can be delivered through any customer service channel - IVR, call center, in store, via the website.

Operations Supervisors, E-commerce Managers, Business Owners, Marketing Professionals, don’t over complicate your customer experience - design it so that you are treating the customer like it is their birthday!!

As a new business owner, I have the expertise necessary to be of value to my client who wants to measure and improve their Customer Experience.
But I am learning that this does not mean that I can sit back and have a "been there/done that" attitude.  
Am I an expert in creating a great Customer Experience?  YES.
Am I a Certified Net Promoter Score Associate who has lead companies through their NPS programs?  YES again.
Am I creative enough to help any client, regardless of size or industry?  You Betcha.
However, I am noticing that that world of Customer Experience is constantly changing.  Many groups have best practices, research models, and ideas on what is the next best thing.  Join any LinkedIn group on Customer Experience, and you will be overwhelmed with ideas on what to do.  
New technology is being introduced monthly.
Additional feedback channels are popping up daily.
And, customer expectations of what a great experience is are ever evolving.
So how do I keep up?  How do I stay relevant for my clients?

Here are the four steps I am taking -- what I have decided to do -- and what you can borrow from as you see fit.

1.  Be Agile - Change how you are delivering your message based on the needs of your client.  You are not a one-show pony.
2.  Be willing to Learn -- No one is disputing your expertise or experience, but the marketplace changes, new ideas are introduced...understand what they are and apply them to your product offerings.
3.  Stay New/Evolve -- If you see a trend, become an expert.  As new technology unfolds, understand how to use it.
4.  Be a Resource -- Your clients pay you to do work that they are not familiar with, so you must always be a resource.  Bring new information to them, and not the other way around.

The awesome thing about these four steps is that as stated above, they can apply to you as a business owner.  But applied differently, the can also help you manage the Customer Experience you create.  

Let's take a look at how these four steps can apply to your Customer Experience.

1.  Be Agile - Create ways to make it easy for your customer to do things themselves.  This is different than forcing them into your 'self-service' processes.
2.  Be willing to Learn - Put a feedback mechanism in place so that you are constantly learning what your customers like about doing business with you and what they would like you to change
3.  Stay New/Evolve - Create new listening posts for your customers to interact with you on, develop a loyalty program that rewards your Ambassadors and delivers an increase in spend
4.  Be a Resource -- Train employees on your products, your competitors, and your industry so that they come to you first when there is a question or concern about what they need.  

It is not easy being a new business owner.  It is not easy creating a great Customer Experience.  But these four steps will guide you through both of those challenges and you will be better for it.