Two weeks ago I visited my long-term friend, Karen, in the Novant Health hospital near Charlotte in critical condition. Mounted on the wall near the couch in her hospital room where my wife and I sat for several hours was a courtesy charging station for cell phones. It had a cord for every conceivable phone on the planet and a shelf to lay your phone while it was being charged. It meant I would not have to leave to go find a way to charge my cell phone and risk missing a crucial health turning point.
A very gloomy Wall Street Journal on a very long flight left me with a very bad headache. And, I almost never get headaches! As soon as I exited the jet way at the San Francisco Airport, I headed for the nearest newsstand for some relief—Advilâ. I opened the plastic package and removed the two tablets in foil for some quick relief. Tucked behind the foil was a collapsible paper cup just big enough for two large swallows of water! They anticipated my needs even before I did.
We all know the power of responsive service. It signals we are on the case waiting for a service hiccup that we can quickly fix or a customer need we can rapidly fill. But, customer advocacy does not come from a great response; it comes for a great anticipation. In the words of a friend I heard last week speaking about his daughter’s reaction to receiving an expected gift, “I never knew I always wanted this.” Think beyond your customers’ expectations and they will respond by bringing the funds and their friends!
image via pixabay