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Embracing the Customer Experience

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As memorial specialists, we play a primary role in guiding families to select the best memorial to honor their loved one. Even as COVID-19 changes how we educate with more digital and web conferencing applications to interact with families, our key responsibility is to educate. When our focus is on informing families of all their options and providing the best possible experience for them, rather than “increasing sales,” an interesting thing occurs. Sales actually do increase.

Can you recall your last great customer experience? What made it so memorable? Consider what customer experience really is. It isn’t just how you attend to your customer in one given moment– it’s the result of all the interactions your customers have with your company. Take a moment to consider where the customer experience actually begins. It’s not when they first meet you. It’s when they first learn about your business. This may be through a Google search, online reviews, website or word of mouth. Or, it could be a physical presence, such as passing by your company truck, walking by your storefront or seeing your staff in company uniform while they set memorials at the cemetery.

The truth is, you don’t know when the customer experience even started. Knowing that their experience could begin and end before you ever knew they considered doing business with you, what will you do to do ensure their entire experience is great?

Making a memorable experience

First, determine the small details that contribute to an excellent experience. Do a thorough review of all the places your company name appears. Is your website current? Does your advertising convey the right message about you and set the stage for good expectations?

Always consider how families are greeted when calling your company. When guidelines for social distancing change, make sure your physical location is ready. Your atmosphere should be professional, caring and kind. Don’t forget to check out your curb appeal, office storefront and displays and consider what message you’re presenting with these important elements.

According to SuperOffice, “86 percent of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience.” This statistic indicates a good experience means so much more to the customer than most companies realize.

One way to improve the customer experience is to educate them. In a recent example, a family was distraught when they visited the memorial park after making their decision on a memorial. They had seen another memorial they didn’t know was possible. If their memorial provider had presented them with all their options, the family would have made a different choice. Talk to your customers, get to know them personally and then let them know of all the options possible. The detailed, personal service you provide will result in a happy customer.

Statistics

Increase your revenues

Forbes magazine found 84 percent of companies that work to improve their customer experience report an increase in their revenue. And, they found that 96 percent of customers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand. Forbes also said that American consumers will pay 17 percent more to purchase from a company with a reputation for great service.

Statistics clearly show that the customer experience not only makes the customer happy, but it will grow your business and increase profits. Knowing this, you must embrace the customer experience to make this happen.

Statistics don’t lie. Your current and potential customers want and need your personal attention.

Keep evolving

Listening to your customers will give ideas on how your business needs to evolve. As you have moved from a rotary phone to a cell phone, your business needs to keep up with the times. The customer experience is no different. In a world of tremendous and rapid changes, it is clear that if you are not moving forward, you will soon become extinct.

It isn’t just how you interact with your customers, but as importantly how your customers are interacting with you, often long before you even know they are. Potential customers today are googling your business, doing their research, and making decisions about your business and the products and services you offer long before they call you.

It’s important to ask yourself, what are you offering families? Have you stayed with the same products year after year, even though there are more options available in the market? If you aren’t changing what you offer, your competitor probably is. Best practices are to present what all the options are, listen to the family and then guide with your professional opinion of the best path for them. By helping them you will remove the confusion, establish yourself as the professional expert and increase their customer experience. Don’t limit what you offer, don’t limit what you do. That will restrict your growth.

Remember, great customer experience – whether in-person or via digital conferencing capabilities — comes through attention to details, listening to your customer and evolving your business. The results will be a growing business and increased revenues!

Want to learn more about how you can create a memorable customer experience? Reach out to your Regional Sales Manager.

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