WNiF Magazine - Autumn 2016 Edition | Page 24

By Hannah Luxford THREE STEPS TO AN EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE W e all know that delivering great customer service is an important part of maintaining customer loyalty and rapport. Hannah Luxford shares three steps to creating a memorable customer experience. 1. Clarity Have a clear vision of what the business aims to provide. Know what kind of customer service experience to deliver. ‘Your customer experience may aim to 24 make members feel very welcome, that their business is appreciated or perhaps that that you consider their feedback valuable’ suggests Steve Grant, director of Gym Hub. ‘But whatever it is, you need to get clear on what it is.’ A clear strategy for the type of customer experience clubs want to create will make them stand out. An individual strategy can be implemented for any business. ‘The key is to sit with staff and get them involved in defining what you want to be known for and brainstorm a list of things you can do as a team to deliver that experience to members each and every day’ says Steve. Being clear and upfront with customers about facilities, services and contracts is also important in building rapport. People appreciate the honesty. 2. Communication Text, email and apps are now available for businesses to communicate with clients. While it is important to use these tools, the lack of face-to-face interaction can have a negative impact for customers. ‘As the world moves at light speed down the technological freeway… we are falling behind in the most critical step with creating an experience: interacting in person with members and clients’ says Justin Tamsett of Active Management. People respond more enthusiastically from face-to-face interaction. Technology cannot replace genuine human connection. If clubs and fitness professionals can integrate technology into their customer service experience, they can use these tools to achieve WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - AUTUMN 2016