A few weeks ago, my husband and I had a ⭐️ golden ⭐️ opportunity…a Friday evening with absolutely nothing on the calendar, and our kids all had plans. (IYKYK how rare those times can be.)
It was already 4pm, but based on two separate recommendations that I heard earlier that week for the same restaurant (Bûcheron in Minneapolis), I tried to make an online reservation.
Since there was nothing available online, I called to see if there were perhaps any cancellations. The woman who answered said there weren’t any tables available, but shared that they do have a few seats at the bar, where they take walk-ins.
She then asked what time we wanted to come in (7pm), and offered to hold 2 seats for us if they opened up.
At 6:30pm, I received a text from the restaurant confirming that they had 2 seats available for us at the bar, and asking whether we still wanted them. I replied yes, but asked if we could arrive at 7:15 since we needed time to change and get there. No problem.
A very popular, hard-to-get-in restaurant was now saving 2 seats for my husband and me at a time most convenient for us.
This is what a recent podcast guest, Kate Kompelien, would call a 🌟 “moment that matters” 🌟.
Kate defines "moments that matter" in the customer journey as those touchpoints that have the most significant impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
I would describe trying to make a reservation at a sought-after restaurant - and being successful - a moment that matters to many of us. Needless to say, I was a Bûcheron fan before I even stepped foot in the door.
This is probably stating the obvious, but providing a great customer experience directly impacts revenue by reducing churn, and it increases profitability through operational efficiencies.
Through leading a customer experience transformation at Best Buy, Kate shared a couple of things that enable any business to identify and maximize their own moments that matter. It was apparent to me that Bûcheron also uses some of these strategies, for example:
✅ Team member empowerment: Empowered employees lead to better customer experiences and higher retention rates. A lack of empowerment leads to frustration and potential customer dissatisfaction. The woman who answered the phone at the restaurant understood what my (and their) desired outcome was, and had the scope in how she did her job to make it happen.
✅ Cross-functional collaboration: Effective customer experience improvement requires cross-functional collaboration across departments like sales, marketing, and customer service. In the case of the restaurant, the chef, servers, and rest of the team had to be ok with not knowing the exact number of people that would be in the restaurant that night, and even as it got busier, they had to remain calm and deliver a great experience because each one of them had an impact on the overall experience.
✅ Technology and customer experience: Investing in technology that enhances customer experience can lead to substantial improvements in operational efficiency and customer retention. If the restaurant hadn’t been using software to easily let them know their capacity, at what time, and where in the restaurant, it would be impossible for them to optimize it.
Delivering a great customer experience is both a science and an art, but there is a framework we can use. As Kate explained, by aligning technology, processes, and people around customer needs, organizations can drive sustainable growth and enhance customer loyalty.
What opportunities do you have to create extraordinary experiences for your customers? I’d love to hear about your “moments that matter”!
Amy's Angle: Insights from the Inside
Back in March, we published the first episode of the RevOps Champions podcast in more than 15 months.
During that time, we decided to rethink the strategy behind the podcast and how it would inform the rest of our content. We also brought on someone to do the heavy lifting on the production side so that we could maintain a consistent, weekly publishing schedule.
That person was me.
Over the last several months, I’ve been reaching out to my old network, making new connections on LinkedIn, and scheduling guests to interview. Each conversation uncovers new insights and fresh perspectives on the most efficient ways to scale a company.
We also hear recurring themes about how the most effective teams can align their people, streamline their processes, trust their data, and leverage technology in their pursuit of growth.
One of the interviews I was most excited to dig into was with our very first guest. We hosted Kate Kompelien, Chief Experience Officer at the Insight Shop. As we chatted with her about building a customer experience strategy, it dawned on me that this topic gets a lot more airtime in B2C than it does in B2B.
Why is that?
We're all consumers so we can relate to the frustration of leaving a customer service interaction having accomplished nothing. Yet, despite this all-too-common occurrence, many businesses don't take the time to fully understand their customer experience.
Kate reminded us that it "directly impacts revenue and profitability;" therefore, it matters just as much in B2B. Some might argue that it’s even more important in lower-volume, higher-complexity engagements that make up a larger portion of a company’s revenue.
Kate says the first step toward understanding the customer experience is for companies to get a firm grasp on their employee experience.
Do you know what that looks like today?
Your client services/customer support/customer success team members are on the front lines fielding questions, recording feature requests, and hearing straight from your customers. They know exactly where you have roadblocks that negatively impact the customer experience. Elicit their feedback for ideas on where to make improvements.
The next step is figuring out how to empower those employees to resolve customer issues. Kate explained the myriad benefits companies will see as a result:
"If you get things right, not only are you going to keep customers and clients, but you're going to have a lot left over at the end of the day because everything is more efficient and therefore more profitable.
A good customer experience means no lost margins on fixing problems, increased future business, and agent retention."
Your employees will feel better about their jobs, your customers will be satisfied, and you'll see that impact on your bottom line. Everyone wins!