The Small Things

What is the key to taking an experience from Typical to Memorable? Attention to detail.  I experienced this attention to detail during one of our assignments to Mystery Shop a full service restaurant.  I chose The Lafayette at the Hay-Adams Hotel.  The attention to detail, from the friendly professional staff down to the custom Fiji Water Holder, made our lunch a memorable experience.  However, many of the things that make an experience memorable do not require a high price tag.  According to the consulting firm Gartner, customer experience management “is the practice of designing and reacting to customer interactions to meet or exceed customer expectations and, thus, increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy.”  To meet or exceed customer expectations one needs to pay attention to The Small Things. 

Take UberX and UberBLACK for example.  There is a lower expectation of service from UberX when compared to UberBLACK.  However, UberX drivers can still provide a memorable experience without having to purchase a luxury vehicle or obtain a commercial driver’s license.  Things as simple as opening the door or greeting the customer with a “hello ma’am/sir,” or as my UberX driver did the other day: “Hi Mr. Brett!”  The Small Things do not require a lot of money and can take an experience from Typical to Memorable.

-Brett

(Custom Fiji Water Holder at The Lafayette)