Delight is Different Than Service

Do you delight your customers? I found an article written by Alain Thys that was published in 2007 that says it best:

It’s funny that when discussing Customer Delight, most people start talking about customer service.  While this nicely fits our managerial illusion of control, it also completely misses the point.  Customer service is what companies do to their customers.  Customer delight is what the customer feels when he has been dealt with in the right way.  One may be related to the other, yet more delight doesn’t always come from more service (in fact, as Ryanair and Aldi have proven, the inverse might even be the case).  Customer delight is not about giving more customer service, it’s about giving the service that matters.

Building relationships with our customers is the same as delighting them but over a sustained period of time. We confuse offering customer service with really engaging with our customers.

In fact, “customer service” is actually more closely associated with the stress and frustration of trying to resolve an issue with a company and receiving anything BUT service. Being a customer-focused company isn’t a quick fix.  It doesn’t involve offering a special discount or creating a loyalty program that requires the customer to keep track of a “frequent purchase” card.

Being customer-focused involves really getting into the thick of things with your customer. Think about the relationships you have in your life. Personal, professional, casual, life-long.  Did they involve a single experience?

We have to start changing our mindset when it comes to the customer and think more along the lines of DELIGHTING them. And you know you know what that looks like.  It is a win for both the associate and the customer because at the end of the day – both walk away feeling great! 

So what are you doing today to DELIGHT your customers?