How to Create a Better Post-Covid Client Experience
don’t try to reinvent the pre-Covid client experience
I'm sitting in a hotel this morning in Charleston. It's a Marriott boutique property and they've done a pretty good job - masks required, only certain restaurants open, rooms cleared of hand-touching clutter, etc.
But this morning, as I listened to some other guests be frustrated that the coffee shop was not open and they would instead have to go to the main restaurant, I had a thought -
when we can't give our clients what they expect, give them something better.
This same topic came up during a summit I spoke at a couple of weeks ago. The viewer asked what we could create better customer experiences on Zoom, etc. - she wanted to make sure it was like before social distancing.
I responded, “don’t make it as good - make it better.”
Keep in mind, sometimes this is just positioning. If the young server at the elevator with the frustrated guests had said, “well, we've closed a couple of the restaurants due to Covid, but decided to keep our signature restaurant on the roof open for all services, because typically you can't just get a cup of coffee or have breakfast up there. Now, you can have your coffee while watching the sun rise over the church spires throughout Charleston - this restaurant has one of the most beautiful views in the city.”
How would that have made those guests feel?
They would have felt lucky - or fortunate - they were getting something they wouldn’t have during normal times.
I know - people are much patient these days - well, sometimes. That’s what I have found - that we are more understanding and more forgiving. That may be one of the positives that 2020 provides us.
So, how do you come up with this? Here are four steps and then a couple of other examples.
01
Walk in your clients’ shoes.
Live the experience of working with you as they would.
02
Ask yourself, “What is missing from the way we used to do things?
What did we have to take away?
03
Then, how could we replace that with something better? Or something different? An experience they only get because of these new times?
04
Make sure that a) this will have value to the clients and b) that it stays true to your purpose and values - that it stays on-brand.
here are a couple of examples of this in action . . .
Let’s say that you typically take your clients out to lunch, breakfast, cocktails, etc. And now, due to this and that, you’re not, but are instead hopping on the phone or a Zoom call. Well, obviously, you have taken away the face-to-face meeting and the free lunch. So, what if you purchased a gift card (bonus: supporting local businesses) and sent your client the card with a note saying, “Even though our firm isn’t doing face-to-face entertaining right now, you still deserve a lunch out. In lieu of hanging out with me at [name of restaurant], please use this for yourself or yourself and a friend.”
Maybe you have an event space with beautiful, rustic spaces. Perhaps you have a huge windows in your main room that open. Now, the spa right down the street is having a hard time operating due to Covid. Could you partner with them? Granted, it would take a little work, but a private massage in a huge space in front of the open, gorgeous window? It would take some pipe and drape, and some logistical thinking, but it’s an interesting idea. The spa might be able to stay in business - they are offering an experience that is only available for a limited time - and you already attract brides, etc., to your space, so it stays on brand. Imagine what future partnerships you might create.
Remember the comment above about positioning? Sometimes it’s just how you explain something. I’ll do another blog post on that soon, as it really is just about shifting perspectives.
