Businesses are finally starting to understand the true value of customer service. From in-store rewards, contests, and giveaways to social media campaigns meant to recognize their regular customers, most companies – including head shops, dispensaries, and vape stores – are taking steps to improve the customer experience at every turn.
Ken Blanchard, author of the book, Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, recommends a three-step approach to customer service:
- Define your customer service vision
- Understand the needs of your customer base
- Exceed customer expectations on a consistent basis
While it’s easier said than done, this strategy can help you connect with customers, improve your customer service game, and attract raving fans to your brand in no time at all.
Defining Your Vision
Start by defining your customer service goals. You don’t need to have everything mapped out in your head just yet, but you should have a few good ideas that serve as the foundation for your broader customer service vision.
The now defunct Purple East, which used to have multiple locations throughout West Michigan, realized their vision rather early in their 49 years of service. While they were able to build on that vision over time, eventually becoming the premiere head shop in the region, they always stayed true to their local roots.
“With Purple East being such an iconic landmark in the Grand Rapids area, what we were really selling was the experience of coming to Purple East. The music was always cool and unique, we always made sure to display local art, and everybody working there was knowledgeable on everything that was local in the store. So there was a strong emphasis on the store being a culture center in addition to a retail store.” – Drew Phillipy, former owner of Purple East
Many companies don’t have the luxury of building a brand over the course of several decades. Consider the recent case of a major vape wholesaler using search engine optimization (SEO) to boost their website traffic. They went from 15,000 monthly visitors to more than 1,000,000 in a few short years, and it’s all because they had a clearly defined vision that helped them meet – and even surpass – their goals.
Understanding the Needs of Your Customers
When an error on their new website accidentally blocked order confirmation emails from being sent to customers at the same time that an internet outage left their team in the dark for four days, Smoke Cartel turned to Shopify to help solve the problem. As the tickets started to pile up and customers started demanding refunds, they launched their 24/7 live chat – a move that slashed customer service response times by 93%.
Smoke Cartel also implemented SMS, email, and Facebook Messenger notifications, via Smooch.io, to communicate with customers on their preferred platforms. Not only did the team recognize a need for better customer service, but they used multiple strategies to make it happen.
Take a hint from Smoke Cartel and focus on understanding the needs of your customers. Although customers are usually quick to express their frustration when things go wrong, they don’t always provide feedback when things are running smoothly. Even if your customers are happy and content, performing regular check-ins, asking for their input, and ensuring their needs are always met is the key to making them come back for more.
“Anytime someone would favor a certain kind of kratom or CBD, I’d make sure to ask before placing orders. Doing those little check-ins with people that are there regularly goes a long way. Customers also suggested different store layout ideas, so we’d be moving things around and making different sections in the store based on feedback,” Drew continued.
What we were really selling was the experience... The music was always cool and unique, we always made sure to display local art, and everybody working there was knowledgeable on everything that was local in the store.
Exceeding Customer Expectations
Whether you’re going out of your way to interact with in-store patrons, responding to customer service tickets online, or providing tangible rewards for regular customers, you should always be on the lookout for new ways to exceed their expectations.
“One of the things we would do for people that come in fairly regularly, it didn’t matter if they had our 20% off cards or not, if they were coming and buying $100 worth of kratom per week, we just started giving them the discount automatically. It felt worth it to give them that little bit of a discount as appreciation and keep them coming back.” Drew said.
As another example, Vaporite recently implemented a loyalty program to reward their customers. Points are accumulated by making purchases in their online store or by referring friends, and these points are redeemable for discounts when customers return in the future.
But there was no reason for customers to expect the sudden creation of a loyalty program. Vaporite has been in business since 2006, after all, so they weren’t really in need of brand new customers. Instead, they just wanted to reward the most dedicated and loyal patrons who frequented their online shop.
How to Create Raving Fans for Your Own Brand
The most successful companies take a proactive approach to customer service. By following a clear roadmap, going the extra mile to meet customer needs, and consistently exceeding expectations, you can convert paying customers into raving fans that provide repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising – both of which can pay off huge dividends in the long run.
Learn more:
https://www.kenblanchardbooks.com/book/raving-fans/
https://ecigone.com/vape-seo-case-studies/
https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/blog/smoke-cartel-live-chat-customer-service#
https://webkul.com/blog/case-studies/vaporite-usa-online-vape-store-loyalty-points-webkul/
Interview Source: Drew Phillipy 231-519-0896
