Guest Blog: From Bali – 3 Sure Fire Ways to Make Customers Happy

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Danielle Storey shares an experience she had in Bali that helped her identify three tips to creating happy customers. I agree that delivering good customer service involves remembering to use the basics to take care of the customer.  – Shep Hyken

Having just spent a delightful week in Bali, I believe I’ve come up with the 3 top tips to creating happy customers. At least in Bali.

Before I share them, here’s a couple of things about the Indonesian island holiday paradise that is Bali and you’ll know them if you’ve been there. Bali is hot and everyone moves accordingly – slowly, with acceptance and stoicism. The general populace don’t speak a lot of English and they don’t always comprehend our fast paced talking style. And the Balinese thrive on the tourism dollars we bring to their island – particularly the sly overcharge that’s possible (read probable) when converting those numerous zeros on their currency to dollars.

Here’s 3 sure-fire ways from to make customers happy:

Say yes. And use a lot of teeth as you do so. Even if you don’t understand the request. Actually, especially if you don’t understand the request. A big smile goes a long way to making a customer comfortable. “Yes, Miss Danielle, yes.” We heard that often. Of course we then had an adventure waiting to see if yes materialised into anything, but that’s the nature of travel – fun surprises.
Get a remote control. Our villa host and driver, Made (pronounced Maahday) had a fabulous remote control for the front security gate. He would make a call on his mobile phone and get one of the staff to walk up the drive and open the gate so he didn’t have to get out of the car. “Made, whilst we have the car, could we call in and pick up a case of beer to save carrying it?” The remote control worked for refilling the Bintang beer fridge too. “Yes Mr David, I will use my remote control and have it done for you.”
Unobtrusively get stuff done. A villa, a swimming pool, a stocked fridge and some perfect weather conditions meant we didn’t move far from the horizontal heaven of the pool or couch. We were never disrupted as things were cooked, washed and put to rights all day long.

Whether you live or play in Bali, or anywhere else in the world, having the right structure and resources to please, to delegate and to get the job done is truly a firm foundation for creating a good experience for customers.

Of course in business, saying yes when you really should be saying no is not always prudent, but a spot of negotiation will usually uncover a third option to suit everyone.

Delegation is the only way to grow. With the right attention and processes, nearly anyone can repeat what you do so that you can get on with other, growth centric opportunities. And finally, just get stuff done. Making it less about you and more about getting the job done is efficient, polite and sensible. Simply, as it is done is Bali, it’s good customer service.

Danielle Storey is a professional speaker, mentor and exhibitor with a particular passion for the fields of small business development, marketing, sales, customer service and employee engagement. Danielle is an outstanding storyteller with a humorous and heart-warming approach to imparting her relationship strategies.  She is a specialist in systems that create customer delight – service with “a little bit extra.” Follow on Twitter @DanielleJStorey

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com . Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:

Learn the Critical Keyword that Makes Your Business a Customer Favorite

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