Strategy Avenue

Museums studying the customer experience

A big part of business is studying the customer experience. From navigating a website to how a phone prompt sounds, businesses spend countless hours trying to make their shopping experience "wow-ful". By focusing on the experience, many businesses are able to raise their conversion or response rates by several percentage points-the bottom line is by ensuring a great experience, business will be strong and the cash register full.

I visit a blog and receive a newsletter each week from an organization called Good Experience. Their mission is to study the customer experience, user experience, and the human experience.

They have an interesting post this week about the NY Times article on (not Governor Spitzer) Museum.

Some interesting parts of the article were:
"While museum market research has been around for two decades, gathering data about visitors has never been as important, or as sophisticated, as it is now. As museums expand, they need more paying customers to cover ever-increasing costs. And they’re competing for those customers with local shopping malls, movie theaters, even grocery stores."

"Now, besides the reliable techniques — focus groups, exit surveys and mail-in questionnaires — museums are exploring new ways to learn what visitors want. In Detroit, which is spending $158 million on a renovation and gallery reinstallation project to be finished this fall, researchers visited local mothers in their homes to determine how to attract more families to the museum."

Think creatively about how you can research and get feedback on your own customer experience in your business. When you ask for the feedback (i.e. surveys), just make sure you listen.

Payment for Professionalism

In many different pricing discussions I have with various photographers - people often ask "how is it that you are able to be in such a high price bracket, Laura?" Well, first of all I work really hard, there have been no shortcuts for me. I also have a great staff with outstanding customer service I create strong photos my clients connect to. But what is it that makes us stand out from the crowd allowing us to be in the highest price point in our area?

I would suggest that customers, above all else, pay for professionalism. To me this means:

1. Never be negative in front of your client or any other people on the day of a wedding. Never interfere with a wedding coordinator's schedule, criticize your client's choices to other vendors, or demand your client to do something that they have said they would rather not do. In the midst of stress, it is hard to always remain positive and neutral, but it is so important.

2. Be polite, even when you are right and the other person is wrong. Self-explanatory but it's amazing to me how many people underestimate the effectiveness of being polite in a situation where you are trying to get your way. Beating someone over the head with your opinion is a great way to make enemies, even if at the end of the day you end up being 'right.'

3. Act enthusiastic to meet someone and be helpful to them, even if you think you will never see them again or you don't believe they could ever help you in the future. You just never know when someone may reappear in your life.

4. Be empathetic to your client's needs and concerns, even if you have heard them a million times before, even if you feel like they are unreasonable - try to remember that although we have experienced dozens, even hundreds of weddings, our clients have not.

5. Focus on your clients' experiences with you. It's important that your clients leave your studio feeling like they have had a wonderful experience - which may not happen even if they feel as though they received great photography. Work on creating an environment where they feel valued by providing surprise gifts, positive correspondence and immediate customer service for your clientele.

As you increase practicing professionalism, I would encourage you to do so in all areas of your career - not just with people who hire you but other professional photographers and vendors in your field. You never know when someone can help you in the future, and while acting unprofessionally may achieve some short term solutions for you, it will never get you as far long-term as polite, respectful correspondence.

Doing it Right

Laura and I just returned Costa Rica where we had an opportunity to see true customer service first hand. At the end of our trip through "coffeeland", we made our way to the Four Seasons on Peninsula Papagayo on the Pacific Coast.

The Four Seasons in Costa Rica has been rated as one of the Top Hotels in the world several times. One of the reasons that it gets this acclaim is due to the level of service that their staff is able to provide. The service level that the Four Seasons provides sets the foundation for the customer experience. It is not just the service, but the experience that makes guests want to return time and time again.

Observations from our stay in Costa Rica:
1). Know your customer's name- From the moment we arrived at the front door of the resort, we were greeted by our name. Our arrival notification was passed from the security gate to the lobby and added a nice touch when we pulled up to the door. Even the pool wait staff made it a point to remember your name over the course of several days.

2). Make guests feel comfortable- Upon check in, we were greeted with cool face towels that were scented with lime and a tropical fruit smoothie. Both items were a welcomed treat after several hours of traveling.

3). Little items go a long way-While we sat by the pool or on the beach, the wait staff would walk around handing out bottles of water and small tasting cups of tropical drinks and frozen coffee. These little things helped guests relax which in turned had them ordering $15 frozen cocktails.

I could go on and on about our stay at the Four Seasons, but let me tie in the above three points and how they can relate to a photography studio business.

1). Know the names-either working a wedding or at pre-meeting at your office make sure you know the key players' names. If you need to, repeat the name several times in your head to help recall it when you need to. Being able to address the parents or grandparents of a customer will help provide a good experience.

2). Feeling comfortable-How many times have you had a client walk into your studio or office and have had the scent of today's lunch still lingering? Be aware of the perception that someone has when they walk into a space-make a good first impression. You might not be able to give out a scented towel, but perhaps a drink or a small snack for guests that have traveled far to your studio.

3). Little things-People like getting little things-a sample at the Four Seasons is similar to a small photograph or a set of greeting cards. Perhaps the small token will have the guest wishing to purchase something a little more from the studio.

These small little things are all "bricks" in the foundation to setting a "wow" customer experience. The Four Seasons certainly knows how to do it right. I am anxious to get back already!

Directions to a Cashmere Blazer

Late yesterday, Laura and I ventured up to Philadelphia to start some holiday shopping. With Thanksgiving behind us and the Christmas lights adorning the street posts, it was starting to feel more and more like the holiday season. The brisk winter air that has crept into the area has also helped jump start the season.

On our excursion, we stopped into the famous retailer Boyds. People come to Philadelphia for cheese steaks, the Liberty Bell, to run the stairs like Rocky and to stop in the sixty-year old clothing landmark, Boyds.

What has made Boyds so successful is in distinguishing themselves from their competition. Not too far from Center City Philadelphia is the King of Prussia Mall. Shoppers could easier travel to the mall and  spend at national department stores. So what makes people make the trip to Boyds? Why is a destination?

Reason One-It's different 
In the words of Boyds:         

"And, in this age of mall culture and mass merchandising every store starts to look the same. At Boyds,     instead of mass merchandise, we offer exclusive merchandise. Each season our buyers travel the world to bring back fabrics and items that our customers won’t find in most any other store."

Reason Two: Service, True Service

"Part of our commitment also includes a policy of extraordinary customer service. Free custom alterations  by fifty European tailors, fashion coordinators and free valet parking are part of a tradition that is the envy of the clothing industry. In essence, at Boyds we believe in treating our customers as individuals. That’s not typical, but neither is Boyds."

From the moment you enter the store (not to forget the free valet parking option), you encounter a service level that is beyond any other retailer. Sales people greet you and not only direct you to the area you are looking for but personally walk you to the section. While shopping in the men's section, you can stop at the bar and have a glass of scotch. Suit shopping and scotch sipping-not bad. They even have homemade ice cream in the cafe just off the marble staircase. The experience, the services and the quality products, allow Boyds to charge a premium price.

In your business as a photographer, what have you done to make yourself different? How's your service levels in your studio? Do you greet people when they first walk in? Do you offer the experience of Boyds? Does your service and quality justify your price?

educating clients

this morning I was thinking about a recent thread I read on the professional photography forum about someone who was rightly frusterated at the perception a potential client had of what a professional photographer should cost. As I was reading it, I was thinking that there are so many different types of consumers of photography out there with such a huge variety of perceptions about what photographers offer and what that should cost.

Now I don't think that we can make *everyone* our client, I actually believe quite the opposite. But I do believe that it's our job to constantly educate our clients in the benefits of what we do, and not just when they call to inquire about our services but even before that takes conversation takes place if possible.

Although I wasn't wild about the editing of this segment, I was on the Philadelphia news last week teaching people the value of portraiture. I spoke to the interviewer about how important it is for people to hire a professional before the segment took place, and I love how she picked up on that advice for her viewers.

I challenge all of us to think about how we can continuously communicate the benefits of what we offer, especially to those of you who are just starting your businesses. Your temptation might be to educate your clients about how price competitve you are, but I would encourage you to also think about communicating the other advantages you offer and how those advantages can benefit your clients.

The Art of Listening

Recently, I had the opportunity to flip through a magazine about real estate. The magazine, Realty Success, is geared towards motivating real estate agents and sales professionals. Topics range from themes such as leadership, self-promotion, to working with customers.

One article in particular really caught my attention when reading...The article was written by author Debbie Allen (not the one from the television showFame). She started her essay with these sentences:

"A prospect's resistence should be viewed as an opportunity, not a roadblock. When this happens, your prospect is letting you get to know him or her better, and helping you to uncover their needs, wants and concerns more effectively."

What really struck me upon reading this was just how many times we let this opportunity go by because we might be talking or even worse not really listening to our clients. By listening to our clients and focusing on what they are expressing, a good sales person can find the customer's pain point (the root cause of the resistence) and look to sell features and benefits to overcome and solve that pain.

Never sell on price-when you do you lose. Sell on emotion and look to solve what is causing that pain point. The only way to identify what that pain point actually is comes from listening.

Add the "art of listening" to your other artistic talents.

The Golden Rule

My career started at MBNA America here in Wilmington, Delaware. MBNA was one of the largest credit card issuers in the world. You may actually have had one of their cards and never knew it because MBNA marketed their cards through associations or sport teams. LA Laker Visa Card? NY Yankees MasterCard?

One of the things that I liked about MBNA was that it was extremely Customer focused. I know-I'm sure you have heard this all before...but MBNA went to extremes and it worked. Over each and every doorway in the company were golden letters that spelled out "Think of Yourself as A Customer". On the way into a meeting or walking out of your office-the letters were there to remind you. On your paycheck every two weeks, there was a stamp on the outside of it that said "Brought to you by a Customer". You might have noticed that the letter "c" is in upper case-that's because at MBNA we had to use a capital "C" when ever we spoke about the Customer.

As a small busines owner, good Customers are essential. They not only buy products and services, but they help spread the message about your photography business.

I leave you with some quotes to think about and reflect on during you hectic days running your own business:

"A Customer is the most important person in this office . . . in person or not. A customer is not dependent on us . . . we are dependent on her. A customer is not an interruption in our work . . . he/she is the purpose of it. We are not doing her a favor by serving her . . .she is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. A Customer is not someone to argue or match wits with."

How's your Customer service?

A little secret.

John and I have a little secret. I told him that we wouldn't tell, and technically I'm not *telling* anyone, but I just have to confess... we love Whole Foods. We love Whole Foods so much that we drive to Philadelphia from Wilmington, Delaware (about 25 miles) a few times a month to stock up on our favorite items.

From the minute you walk into Whole Foods, you are immediately overwhelmed by fresh, colorful, well stocked produce. Sometimes there are cheerful people cooking samples of what you can create with this produce, right next to special sale items - organic, of course. From the fish counter, to the meat counter, to the salad bar, to prepared foods everything is impeccable, clean and fresh smelling. I have been shopping at Whole Foods since I can remember and have been each one in Massachusetts (where I am from), to ones in NY, NJ, MD, DC, VA and while they are all different there are elements that are also completely the same. Some of the main constants that stand out to me are:

- Super helpful sales staff, that cheerfully offer for assistance even in a crowded store
- When you are trying to find something, they not only point to where it is but they WALK over to the item with you in order to make sure you find it
- Quality is overemphasized and items are inspected regularly to ensure the highest quality presentation of the food.
- Innovation in products... and not just any products, but new ones that compliment the items I already buy and love. One example of this I have noticed is the increase in easy-to-make dinner items in the last several years.
- Although the custom made items are pricey, there are lower priced Whole Foods brand pre-packaged products that are always a great value.
- The overall shopping experience is tremendously pleasant; every customer experience detail is tended to including validated parking at every urban whole foods I have been to, free samples, pre-screened labels for harmful chemicals such as hydrogenated oils, free recipe cards, informational classes... the list goes on and on.

As we were driving home this evening, I was really trying to think about why we do this secret drive every few weeks. It just seems as though the more local grocery stores have so little to offer in comparison to what Whole Foods does. In a lot of ways this is how we should think about our businesses: how do we create such a wonderful product, environment, and customer experience that people will want to drive from all over to have a part of what we do? How are we creating customer touch points that matter to our customers, and make their lives better, easier, and give them a sense of value? And by value I certainly do not mean being the cheapest in town, but providing our customers with a sense of money well spent.

If you have never been to Whole Foods, I highly recommend it. If you love food (which I do!) you'll never want to go to another grocery store again! And if you are lucky enough to live near one, think about the experience you have when you walk in, and how you can create that same sense for your own customers. It's a challenge I've given to myself, and one I hope you enjoy as well.