THE PERFECT WORLD
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42)
Creating Others’ Perfect Worlds
What if we lived our lives with each other’s perfect world in
mind? What if we spent more time asking questions and paying
attention to the perfect worlds of our co-workers, customers,
spouses, family, and friends? What if we made choices in life
based on those perfect worlds? Would you sell more? Would
you be happier? Would the quality of your relationships
improve? Would the quality of your life improve? Would your
spa be more successful? I think you know the answer.
How do you best go about creating another person’s perfect
world? You start by looking at the world through their eyes. Pay
more attention.
Start by asking questions. Ask the customers themselves, “If
we could have done one thing better in working with you, what
would it have been?” Find out and then deliver. Ask, “How can I
create a better experience for my customers? What can I do to
truly connect with them? How can I move from being ordinary
to extraordinary?”
I recently spoke in Sri Lanka and stayed at the Taj Sumatra
Hotel. Instead of checking in at the front desk, the staff took me
right to my room and checked me in there. As we were going
through the passport/credit card routine, I noticed a colorful
photo in a frame on the bedside table that looked familiar. As
soon as the check-in process was complete and I’d said goodbye
to the hotel staff, I curiously strolled over to the nightstand and
picked up the photo. It was a photo of me and eight kids from a
children’s home in Wiang Pa Pao, Thailand they’d taken off of
the Facebook page of “Together We Can Change the World.” I
founded this nonprofit organization with the mission to help
create sustainability in children’s homes and women’s projects
across Southeast Asia. We had built this home in Wiang Pa
Pao, Thailand and developed an emotional attachment to these
kids.
Wow! What a surprise! How did they even know? Who
thought of this clever idea?
And here lies the secret to truly connecting with customers
and creating their perfect worlds: If you truly want to make a
lasting impression and engage customers at the highest level,
MISSED FRIEDMAN at the 2015
ISPA Conference & Expo Professional
Development Sessions (PDS)? Email
ispa@ispastaff.com to inquire about
the PDS Audio Recordings.
44 PULSE
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November 2015
A hotel in Sri Lanka took customer service to a whole new level when its
staff printed from Facebook and displayed inside Friedman's hotel room a
photo of the speaker posing with children helped by a nonprofit organization he founded.
surprise them with what’s highest on their joy list. Doing work
with “Together We Can Change the World” is high on my joy
list. This photo represents a part of my life that I am passionate
about. To have the very first touch point at the hotel be such a
delight would surely shape my experience for my entire stay. In
fact, I would have had an amazing time even if the hotel had
been without hot water, had run out of food during my stay, or
had no Internet connection.
The point is, the power of positive surprise creates not only
an amazing customer experience but customer loyalty as well.
And it’s really not that hard to do. As the marketing staff at the
Taj Sumatra hotel did in this case, take a look at people’s
Facebook walls and Instagram accounts to find clues about
what they really value. Simply right-click on a