Creating customer delight

You know it. I know it. Creating delighted customers and raving fans of your company is hugely important for ensuring the ongoing success of any business.

You hear plenty of lip service being paid to providing excellent customer service, but how many companies have you experienced as a customer that have provided you with truly outstanding, overwhelmingly fabulous service? Service that means you'll never forget that company and that has earned your undying loyalty? I'm willing to bet that it's fewer than you can count on one hand.

Am I right?

The benefits of having raving fans of your company are clear. Raving fans will buy more from you, more often, but critically they will also be happy to send others to your business as well. There's simply no better marketing than impartial, word of mouth recommendations from your raving fans.

Here are some ideas to start you off:

- Very simply, ask your customers what they want. Ask them what you need to do to turn them into raving fans. Ask them what their top 3 frustrations are when dealing with companies in your field. You won't find anyone better qualified to answer those questions than your customers! Find out, then make every effort to equal or better their requests.

- Make VIPs of your best customers. Give them unexpected bonuses and free gifts. Remember their birthday. Offer them exclusive deals and exclusive products.

- Keep in touch with your customers. Provide them with regular contact and useful information (personalised for them if possible).

- Get the little things right. Very often it's the minor details that make all the difference. Go back to basics. It could be something as simple as offering refreshments to visitors to your shop, including maintenance or setup tips for the product your customer's just bought, or sending a thank you note for their purchase.

- Offer convenience. Are your hours and days of operation convenient for your customers? Do you offer a free or reduced rate phone number for customers to call? Do you offer easy payment facilities (credit card, installment options, etc.)?

- Do things really quickly. Speed impresses people.

- Always follow up with customers after a purchase (yes, that also means you have to get their details to put on your customer database!). One of the biggest marketing sins is to ignore a customer after she's purchased from you!

What could you implement today to start creating customer delight and raving fans? And which of these activities could you automate and/or delegate?