ESSENTIAL COMMENT AND OPINION
SUPERFANS DELIVER GROWTH!
Pete Baker, experienced CI operator, Founder of the Big Corp and EI contributor looks at creating the best marketing there is. I grew up in the Bahamas. I have the great opportunity to travel back to the Bahamas frequently to visit relatives and check on our family store. During a recent visit a few months ago, my wife and I had one of the most impactful customer service experiences of our lifetimes. We were near downtown Nassau and looking for a place to enjoy some dinner. As we strolled along the boardwalk, near Junkanoo Beach, we spotted an interesting restaurant called Tiki Bikini Hut. Although I have walked past this area dozens of times, I had never dined at this particular restaurant. We decided to give it a shot. As we approached the hostess stand, we were asked our names. Much to my wife’s embarrassment, I respond with a common quip of mine, “just think Peter Pan, for Peter and Anne.” Upon providing our names, a loud declaration was made by the Maître d’, “Please help us to welcome Peter Pan!” The entire restaurant then erupted in cheering, whistles and cowbells to welcome us to the establishment. Little did we know, that was just the start of a series of positive experiences at this restaurant. Shortly after we were seated, the owner of the business came to our table to
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personally welcome us to the restaurant. He then asked if he could get us anything to drink. My wife ordered a tropical concoction and I asked if he had any Kalik (the local beer). He responded, “I am not sure if we have any, but don’t worry, I’ll get it for you.” It turns out, as I later discovered, that they were out of Kalik in the restaurant. Not willing to disappoint a customer, the owner had someone run down the street to buy some Kalik beer for me to enjoy. Shortly after, the food started arriving, but it wasn’t just what we ordered. The owner wanted us to fully enjoy his restaurant, so he provided us with a sample of all the appetizers they had to offer! We stayed for several hours, watching in awe as each guest who arrived was greeted with the full vigor and excitement shown to us. Not only did the arriving guests enjoy this encounter, but the rest of the patrons had even more fun clanging the cowbells, clapping and cheering and getting fully immersed in the experience. As we left the restaurant that evening, we had several employees share their gratitude and thank us for visiting Tiki Bikini that night. I guarantee that no one who visited that restaurant will soon forget the experience they had as a customer. So, how can we apply this
to our businesses and create superfans for our brands? Most likely greeting a new customer with cowbells and cheering when you first meet them may not be appropriate in our business. Regardless, it does raise the question of how can we create a positive impact, for customer at each touch point? The following will outline three opportunities where you can create superfans through interactions with clients.
BEFORE THE CLIENT INTERACTION: PREPARE
There are a few different ways you can prepare for client interactions. How you prepare will depend largely on your business model. Do you have a showroom or office space where you will be meeting with the clients? Are you keeping it presentable? Are the bathrooms clean? Have you tested all your equipment to make sure it’s working properly? Are all your employees on the same page? Preparing the space where you will be meeting your client in can be a game changer. A neat and tidy appearance, and ensuring each of your employees knows what they can and should do to impress each visitor, could very well be what elevates your business above competitors and helps to win the project or sale.
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