Last winter my friend told me about an incredible "Wow" he received
while on a business trip near Cape. One morning he looked outside and saw that
it had snowed a few inches overnight. As he left his hotel, The Residence Inn
in Dedham, Craig was pleasantly surprised to discover that the hotel staff had
gone out that morning and cleared off every car in the lot. That's not a
wow. Not even a Wow. That is a WOW! When Craig went back in to thank the hotel
staff he was told it was the assistant manager idea to do it. I say, promote
that person!
Think about the goodwill that created. The first thing Craig did
was to call and tell me about it. Then he told his wife when he talked to her.
Then he told every client he saw that day. A simple act of kindness resulted
in Craig telling a handful of people about the hotel. There is no doubt
where Craig will stay on his next business trip to that area. There is a good
chance that the people to whom he told the story will mention that hotel to
someone they know who is planning a trip to the area. And Craig was just one of
many guests who were WOW"d by this act of kindness. The assistant manager
created the most powerful marketing tool there is, a Memorable Moment.
A Memorable
Moment is created when a customer experiences something notable and impressive
that makes a lasting positive impression. A Memorable Moment is something that a
person will always associate with that business, organization, or person.
Memorable Moments in our lives are pretty special; they might include that first
kiss, when we received a diploma, when we said "I do" and the birth or adoption
of our children. Memorable Moments connected to a business may not be as
life-changing as some of the person moments, but they are rare, and that's what
makes them so powerful.
I have a few retail Memorable Moments myself. I remember the first
time someone took me into a Build-A-Bear, back when they were first starting
out. I knew I was looking at a brilliant concept. I remember walking into a
clothing store in Scottsdale, Arizona on a scorching hot day and being offered
not only a cold drink but a choice between a soft drink or a bottle of water. Of
course every other store in the area had posted "no drink" signs on their doors.
And I remember buying a pair of pants in a Nordstrom and when the salesperson
heard I was visiting that city he insisted that he have them pressed for me.
These are facts about Memorable Moments:
They are almost always a
result of another person. The hotel Craig was staying at probably had an
upgraded bed, a bowed shower curtain, a large showerhead, and other amenities
that almost all hotels are doing today. Don't get me wrong, they're nice
things to have but they're things. It was the assistant manager's actions that
created the Memorable Moment.
They are the result of a
culture of hospitality and focus on the customer.
Internally and product focused companies rarely create Memorable Moments.
They are always created.
Memorable moments just don't happen; they are created by people who care.
Sometimes they're planned, more often than not they're spontaneous.
The Memorable Moment
happens because an employee sees the chance to create it.
Companies who focus on creating Memorable Moments create zealous customer
advocates, and that results in additional sales.
To create a
Memorable Moment, all a person has to do is to constantly ask themselves, "How
can I WOW this customer?" What unexpected surprise or generous action can I take that
will result in the customer saying WOW? Memorable Moments are not hard to
create. The hard part is making it an integral part of your stores customer
experience.
I don't care what's happening in a local or national economy,
Memorable Moments will create sales today and sales for tomorrow.
So let me ask, how will you create Memorable Moments for your
customer today and everyday going forward?
- Doug
About the author:
Doug Fleener is a veteran retailer with over 25
years of hands-on retail experience with world-class retailers including Bose
Corporation and The Sharper Image. He has also owned and operated his own
specialty stores. In his ten years at Bose, Doug grew the Retail Direct Group
from four to 100 stores and was instrumental in developing Bose’s unique and
engaging retail methods.
Doug is now president and managing partner of
Dynamic Experiences Group LLC, a Lexington, MA based retail and customer
experience consulting firm dedicated to helping retailers improve their customer
experiences that results in higher sales and profits.
Fleener is the author of the book The Profitable
Retailer: 56 surprisingly simple and effective lessons to boost your sales and
profits. He is a frequent speaker around the world on retail issues and his
insights has been covered in leading business media including The New York
Times, Entrepreneur, and Shopping Centers Today. Along with
partner Matt Norcia they write the popular retail blog Retail Contrarian.
Doug lives in Lexington, Massachusetts with his
wife and two daughters, where in his free time he barbecues while listening to
Jimmy Buffet music.
