Digital Dealer - February 2019 - 24

M A R K E T ING & ADVERT ISING: Cu sto m e r Experi ence

By Jennifer Libin
Sales Director,
Automotive Proﬁt Builders

Creating a Lasting
Impression
Challenging situations in
business are inevitable,
but what makes the
difference is how you handle
them. No one can control
how a customer reacts,
feels, talks, or behaves, but
you can control your
response and what you do
about the situation to make it
right. If you handle them
correctly, the customer will
still feel like royalty.
One of the best examples of how this works is
at Disney World. Every
employee is trained to be
friendly no matter what, and
also empowered to make
the customer experience the
best it can be.
If a customer is angry,
or upset, or disappointed,
employees are not only
empowered but expected to
do what they think is right
to remedy the situation.
For example, if someone
drops their popcorn, they
get a new one. No questions
asked. If they tear their shirt
in the park, an employee
can give the customer a
replacement absolutely free
in one of the stores.
This is why you rarely
see an angry customer at
Disney. Their staff proactively works to make every visit
the best it can be, and to
truly make Disneyland, The
Happiest Place on Earth
(or if you are at Walt Disney
24

FEBRUARY 2019

World's Magic Kingdom,
The Most Magical Place
on Earth). Of course, it's all
monitored to be sure no single customer (or employee)
takes advantage.
The question for you is,
what are you doing to make
buying a product or service
from you and your company, the Best Experience on
Earth? This should be high
priority for you, because
afterall, sn exceptional
experience is what makes
customers want to come
back repeatedly.
Creating delighted
customers doesn't require
huge budgets. It requires
a sales professional - and
all employees - to be 100%
present. It means consistently following processes,
listening to customers,
getting to know their needs,
treating everyone with
respect, being nice, friendly,
and professional, and being
diligent in everything. Everything a professional does
- or doesn't do - combines to
create a lasting impression.
Unfortunately, consumers today have lower
expectations based on past
experiences with many
businesses. This actually
makes it even easier to
create a positive impression.
For example, when was
the last time you received a
thank you note (handwritten,

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

mailed in a stamped envelope) from a salesperson or
business? When was the
last time someone called
you to say thank you and to
see how you liked your purchase? Exactly! Think about
the impression it makes
when this does happen.
Now, when was the last
time YOU sent a note or
made a call? Email and text
have their place, but technology will never replace
the personal touch, which
leaves a lasting impression.
Use technology to plan and
track customer interactions.
Send an email occasionally,
but don't let it replace you.
At Disney, technology is
the backbone of running
successful theme parks, and
it's used to enhance customer service, as well. But it is
never the point of contact;
people are. While many
companies see technology
as a cost-cutting tool and a
way to trim down staff, Disney sees it in the opposite
light. In fact, they increase
staff when adopting new
technology to ensure that
it delivers on expectations
to management and most
importantly to customers.
A good example of this is
their Magic Bands, all-inone devices in the form of
comfy wrist bands. These
give guests access to their
hotels and parks, allow them

to check in at different places
in the resort, purchase food
and merchandise, and unlock
special surprises personalized
for their visit and interests.
Disney's tech staff works diligently to ensure these bands
deliver an exceptional experience, and that if there is ever
a glitch, it's fixed quickly and
seamlessly so guests never
know. And, they are always
looking for new ways to use
them to enhance the guest
experience even more.
How does this translate to
other businesses? First, be
sure your technology (websites, social media, kiosks,
in-store systems, etc.) creates
a positive experience, before,
during, and after customer
visits. Is it easy to access and
use, seamless, and always
on? If it's not, then your technology is working against you,
not for you.
Making the customer feel
like royalty is not difficult. And,
while there are many things
you can't control, you can
nearly always remedy a situation and leave the customer
smiling. And, every employee's job - no matter where
they work or what they do - is
to do just that. Understand
what customers need. Evaluate the problem and situation.
Then, fix it. Remember, listening and empathizing go a long
way, and sometimes, they are
all you need.
JENNIFER LIBIN is a sales

director at APB. As a woman
and professional who grew
up in the automotive industry,
she understands the buying
habits of women. Jennifer is an
entrepreneur and a leading voice
in the industry who has written
extensively for automotive and
sales publications.
http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM
Digital Dealer - February 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - February 2019
