Change Your Mindset #3 - Focus on creating a customer experience rather than on customer service

Think of any visit you have made in the last year to any store (retail or otherwise) that stands out specifically in your mind. What did the establishment do to make this visit stand out to you? Chances are the visit stood out because it was more of an overall “experience” than merely a visit. And, the chances are that the visit stood out only because it was an experience. On the flip side of this question, think of how many visits you’ve made to establishments that you would just as soon forget, or have forgotten altogether.

Creating a customer experience does n0t mean just creating a beautiful branch facility that has a fluid floor plan, is very modern, and has plasma television screens. On the contrary a customer experience is none of those things. Creating a great customer experience is about all of the seemingly insignificant things that you do to connect with the customer from the moment they walk in the door.

An example of this would be having your concierge stand up, shake the customer's hand, ask them how their day is going, ask them what they need assistance with, and then walk them to the department where they need to be; instead of sitting behind a desk, saying hello, and pointing them in the direction of one of the departments.

Umpqua Bank is one of the most successful banks (large or small) in creating customer experience. Umpqua is currently running a program called LocalSpace that allows customers to use a networking service through Umpqua’s website to find local vendors and merchants for any variety of needs. This creates a feel of commitment to the local community with which customers can connect and creates an “experience” that is very specific to the local community on a branch by branch basis.

Another program that Umpqua has initiated is the Discover Local Music Project. Umpqua spotlights local bands and music in their markets, and allows the customer to sample the songs and even create a CD of their favorites. All of this is directed towards connecting with the customers and creating an experience at the branch that is memorable and stands out from the mundane daily task of visiting a bank branch.

Customer service is a standard and is expected. Very rarely will a customer recall that they had “good” customer service for any reason, but they will definitely remember if the did not receive good customer service. Therefore, quality service is the standard at which everyone must operate. In order to truly stand out you must create the “experience” that will connect with your customers, get them talking about your bank, and keep them coming back.