There is always a bit of uncertainty when a customer decides to make a purchase. By immediately giving positive feedback to the customer that they made the right decision, you can remove that doubt.

I went to lunch last week at la Madeleine, a French bakery and restaurant. I wasn’t quite sure what to order since everything was new to me. I selected a sandwich and when I placed my order I was hoping that I had made a good decision.

The employee taking my order said with excitement: “that’s a great choice, it’s what I eat.”

Instantly I was pacified and confident I had made a good decision. My lunch turned out to be a good one.

Why is it so important to reassure the customer at the point of sale?

Your customers have mental distractions and concerns weighing them down and preventing them from fully enjoying their purchase. If these thoughts and fears are not neutralized, they are foreshadowing what will really happen.

At the point of sale, you can reassure, comfort, and instill confidence in the customer that their decision was the right one.

Armed with this confidence, your customers are more likely to be happy with their purchase. They’ll be less likely to have buyer’s remorse and return your product the next day.

The bonus you get for reaffirming a customer’s decision is that they leave with a positive mental image of their encounter. This will lead them to return later to give you even more business.

Today’s post is a first hand experience by Joe’s wife Mindy. Her story highlights the need for consistency and uniformity on each interaction with customers.

We recently had an IKEA open about 15 miles up the road from us. Just like everyone else in the city of Austin, we made our obligatory trip to see what the big deal was and we came away adoring fans. What’s not to love? Their products are ingenious, the price is right, and the Swedish Meatball platter is worth the trip alone. (Joe would also tell you not to pass up the cinnamon rolls as you’re walking out the door.)

During our last trip to IKEA in April, I found the perfect fabric for curtains to finish off a recent minor kitchen remodel we’ve undergone. They were out of this particular fabric at the time of our visit, but assured me it would be replenished “in about two weeks.” That would put me into crunch time, as I had a book group to host, a visit from my parents, and my son’s second birthday right around the magic two week deadline. However, I asked if I could leave my phone number so they could call me when the fabric came in, and asked for their number and extension so I could check in with them as well.

So here’s the story: it’s now August. Still no fabric. I’ve called just about every week since April to check on the status and it’s almost become a game, because in the sixteen weeks that I’ve called, the standard answer has varied. I’ve heard plenty of the “two week” platitudes, have been hung up on, and have even found a couple of helpful customer service reps who patiently explained that the fabric I want is part of a “family” of fabrics and they have to sell out of an entire family before the fabric is replenished.

But here’s what I don’t understand. During one of my weekly calls, I was helped by a very customer-centric employee who checked the computer to find out what the stock level was and discovered there was a shipment due within the next week to be delivered to their store.

Hmmmm.

I never got a phone call telling me the fabric was in. In the subsequent calls since then, IKEA employees have reverted to telling me that they don’t have that fabric. So what’s the real story? Why would one employee be able to check the status when others claim they can’t access that information or that the computer doesn’t give them that information? Why should I feel like I’m playing Russian Roulette just to reach one competent employee on the phone?

The equations are simple:

consistency = trust and confidence

inconsistency = confusion and mistrust

Which would you rather impart to your customers?

Customers will come to your business seeking a solution. They need help with a problem that you are aptly suited to solve. Many times they will rely on your expertise because they don’t fully understand everything about your product, service, or industry.

Do More Than a Customer Could

Our ongoing struggles with Logoworks have been frustrating and time consuming. We hired them to create a logo for our company in the hopes that we’d get an amazing logo like those shown on their website. However, many of the revisions we saw were of clip art quality. Our early revisions even had us asking, “Could we have just done this ourselves?”

Those are words you never want your customers to say. When you are competing in the marketplace, it isn’t just against your rival businesses. Customers may choose no one and do it themselves.

Your deliverables must instill confidence in your customers such that they are reassured they made the right decision in hiring you.

You’re the Expert

Your job as the “expert” is to translate the customer’s needs, situation, problems, and requirements into a valid, working solution. You must leverage your history with similar clients, industry knowledge, and training to fill in the blanks of your customer’s requests. A customer may not even know the right questions to ask. You must make sure those questions get asked and answered properly.

Taking Customer Feedback

Customers may offer suggestions or request changes. You, as the expert, must weigh those inputs with what you know about the entire process and product. Don’t take a customer’s feedback literally unless you fully understand the reasoning or problem behind it.

It is acceptable to tell a customer you shouldn’t do something if you can explain why it is a bad idea. When countering a customer request, don’t make it an emotional argument. Instead, focus on what the results would be if that exact feedback was implemented.

New Possibilities

Take customers’ feedback and then offer them alternatives or solutions that expand on their input and combine it with your expertise. This way you keep them on the right track while still incorporating their requests.

On a previous project, we had Lea Alcantara design our logo. She did a fantastic job of communicating with us and taking our inputs and creating something well beyond what we could have imagined. Lea truly is an expert and goes beyond simply doing what we told her to do.

Do you give customers exactly what they asked for? Or do you take that and give them something better?

My wife and I have been struggling with creating a logo for our company. We decided to try Logoworks. Despite their quick response from the public relations department, we’ve had nothing but trouble with the logo process.

One of our principle frustrations is that our ideas and input don’t seem to make it to the designs we keep getting.

The entire process seems to be designed to complement the technological age we live in. You tell the website what you think about the logo design options and a few days later, some new revisions are returned for your review. It kind of makes you feel like you’re standing at a vending machine, waiting for your treat to pop out.

Despite us enumerating our frustrations and even escalating them to a project manager, the logos we keep seeing always make us say, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

We’ve asked our project manager if we can talk to the designers to discuss the concepts. The response was “No, that isn’t part of our business model.”

People Want Personal Interaction

Logowork’s business model sticks a middle man, or complete automation, between customers and designers. Naturally, this can lead to a lot of things being lost in translation.

This type of business model may facilitate a greater volume of transactions. However, it sacrifices the personal interaction that many customers crave and need.

More customers will fall in love with your company if they make a personal connection to your store, product, or employees. The more isolated a customer feels, the less likely that long term relationship will ever form. You become a commodity and customer loyalty ceases to exist.

Business Priorities

Is your business model set up to help customers or help your bottom line? Short term focus on revenue and income may alienate customers and prevent long term growth. A solid foundation of quality customer-centric service will naturally bring in more revenue and earnings.

Think about something that you have to do that is always a pain. Something that you don’t like to do, don’t look forward to, but always have to do. Your pain points can very well be business opportunities.

The voluminous amount of regulations, laws, taxes, requirements, licensing, restrictions, and inspections the government imposes on its citizens can be overwhelming. Many of us grudgingly take care of all these items, as painful as they may be, because it’s the law.

These same pain points offer incredible opportunity for businesses. If your business can solve some of the pain of dealing with the government, people will pay you for the effort.

Identify the Pain

In the great state of Texas, we have to get our cars inspected every year. This is usually a very painful process.

Many mechanic shops will have the official state inspector sign displayed on their buildings. However, since that isn’t their primary business, the sign is usually in place to lure you in for more pricey services. These shops are usually busy with other more valuable customers or the inspector isn’t always on site. These businesses neglect the small inspection sale even though it could lead to bigger opportunities.

Every year I have to find a car shop that will inspect my car. I usually have to visit one or two places before I find one with the inspector working that day. Then I have to wait an hour or more for the inspection to be done. This process is too frustrating and always makes me procrastinate my inspection to the last moment.

Solve the Customer’s Pain

This year was different. I discovered a small service station called “Sticker Stop.” Their tag line claims they are the “Home of the Ten Minute Inspection.” That, based on my past experiences, sounded too good to be true.

I asked a lady sitting next to me in the waiting room if they really only took ten minutes. She said “pretty close.” I asked if she had visited Sticker Stop before. She had and said they did a good job.

My experience was equally as great. I was in and out in less than ten minutes. I took me longer to drive to and from their shop than I was actually there.

Niche Focus on Problem Solving

Sticker Stop is succeeding because they do one thing and they do that very well. Their laser sharp focus allows them to serve a niche that itself was created by the legal requirements of driving in Texas.

What pains do you encounter that a business could help alleviate? The bigger the pain, the bigger the opportunity. Solve that problem and people will not only be happy, but will gladly spread the word to their friends.

The one thing your customers will remember is that last few moments of your interaction with them.

Our recent family vacation took us through Las Vegas’ airport to catch a connecting flight. As we landed, one of the Southwest Airlines flight attendants started singing an Elvis song to us over the intercom. She had a beautiful voice and even customized the words to us, her beloved Southwest passengers. Her song was followed by a large round of applause from those aboard the plane.

That act of song, put a smile on many passengers faces and wrapped up that flight on a positive note.

When you end with something good, people start to forget problems or issues they may have had earlier. A happy ending can completely turn things around in your favor.

Why is that? People have short term memories. If, during your interaction with a customer, something goes really bad, that is all they think about. Until something comes along to replace their seething anger, it will linger.

You can counter a bad experience by ending with an uplifting, positive conclusion. That newer, pleasant memory will then replace the negative thoughts of earlier troubles.

People love happy endings. Shouldn’t you try to create more of them for your customers?

When you greet customers with enthusiasm, they can’t help but get excited about their experience with you.

Last Saturday I stopped by a Krispie Kreme Doughnuts. Their “hot light” was on, meaning they were making fresh glazed doughnuts. If you stop in during that time, they’ll give you a free one!

If that alone weren’t enough to get me excited, this Krispie Kreme made for a very pleasant experience. When I walked into the store, I was enthusiastically greeted by the man behind the counter. He offered me a free doughnut and then proceeded to help with my order.

Every step of the way, he had a big smile on his face and was very pleasant and upbeat in his demeanor.

How could a customer not leave there totally happy and ready to come back for more? It’s no surprise that Krispie Kreme was highlighted in the book Creating Customer Evangelists.

Do customers get excited when they drive by your store?

What happens when they go inside and start talking with your employees?

Enthusiasm and positive excitement are contagious and will help your customers leave with a great experience.

The more comfortable you are with your customers, the easier it is to ask for referrals.

On our recent family vacation, my wife and I attended a melodrama at the Pickleville Playhouse. The lighthearted show created a very casual atmosphere. It was therefore very easy for the actor at the end to say:

If you liked the show, go home and tell all your friends. If not, then shut up!

If the stage had not been properly set (pun intended), then the customers (audience) could easily have been offended by that statement. Nevertheless, due to the comfortable atmosphere that Pickleville created, they could close with that memorable statement. In fact, the audience laughed and here I am at home telling all my friends about it.

On the flight home, we flew Southwest Airlines. They have always provided us great service in the past and this time was no exception.

As our plane taxied to the terminal, the flight attendant was making the standard announcements. Then she paused and said:

Remember, friends don’t let friends fly other airlines.

Once again, this could have come across as cocky or arrogant. However, the crew had created a very pleasant flight for us and this statement received a chuckle from those listening.

If you want customers to refer their friends to you, just ask. Follow up your great service with an invitation to have your customers tell others about you. Make it funny and they’ll be that much more likely to tell someone else!