Ensuring an amazing customer experience is essential for the success of any tourism business.
Here are 6 key essentials to consider, in fact, give yourself a rating… then perhaps ask your customers, guests, passengers, and participants what they think.
Ultimately it’s not how well we think we’re doing, it’s what the customer thinks!
- Personalisation:
Customers expect a personalised experience that’s tailored to their individual needs and preferences. This could involve offering customised itineraries or packages, providing personalised recommendations based on their interests, or offering special promotions or discounts.
Maybe if you don’t have too much different to offer…. How do you language what you can do, be it better, differently, etc? What tone is used? How genuine and authentic is the personalisation?
- Clear communication:
Clear communication is crucial to ensuring a positive customer experience. Make sure customers have access to all the information they need, such as pricing, availability, and logistics. Respond promptly to inquiries and feedback, and be transparent about any changes or issues that may arise.
Too often customer experience is damaged by the lack of communication. Whether that’s written, spoken or non-verbal communication – staff body language, facial expressions, eye contact, etc.
- High-quality service:
Providing excellent service is essential to creating a memorable customer experience. Train your staff to be friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful, and ensure that they are equipped to handle any issues or complaints that may arise.
Do you discuss what being unfriendly, a lack of knowledge, or being unhelpful looks like? Are you specific about what you consider essential to high-quality service? Or do you expect staff to mind-read expectations? Perhaps you could even get them involved in setting the standards to get buy-in and agreement.
- Attention to detail:
Paying attention to small details can make a big difference in the overall customer experience. Make sure your facilities are clean and well-maintained, and provide amenities and services that exceed customer expectations.
An example of this is a lovely hotel room, new furniture, bedspreads, etc, and yet scuff marks on the wall. Or perhaps the confirmation email is accurate and yet on arrival, there’s incorrect information at the front desk. Make sure all departments are communicating and passing through these details.
- Flexibility:
Being flexible and adaptable can help you meet the diverse needs of your customers. Be willing to accommodate special requests or last-minute changes, and be prepared to handle unexpected situations with grace and professionalism.
It might seem like, and be, a lot of effort. Remember though, marketing to existing clients is a whole lot easier and more cost-effective than getting new customers, so perhaps your flexibility and adaptability will help with retention and recommendation as said guest shares their positive experience with friends and family.
- Follow-up:
Following up with customers after their experience can help you build lasting relationships and improve the overall customer experience. Ask for feedback, address any issues or concerns, and thank customers for their business.
The best question to ask is always – would you recommend us to friends and family?
Do you have a follow-up system? Do you care about the activities that initiate the follow-up? It could even be simple in-house activities around new dates, other tours and activities, conversations between staff, and follow-up actions acknowledging feedback. There are lots of great ways to let customers know you care. Gift vouchers, recognition for long stays or repeat visitors, and for leaving feedback, just to name a few.
Get your thinking caps on with the team to brainstorm ideas that help you, the team and business stand out and offer that amazing customer experience!
Love to know how you score for each of these currently?
P.S Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you develop and work on your business leadership capabilities:
- Grab a free copy of Smash Indecision and Overwhelm, 4 Steps for Better Business Leadership E-book
It’s the road map to overcoming doubt and indecision, how to deal with “overwhelm” to improve your business leadership capabilities. —Click Here
- Join the Tourism Business Leader’s Facebook group and connect with like-minded leaders focused on building highly effective teams
It’s our Facebook community where smart leaders get to learn more about creativity, leadership and performance for tourism business success. —Click Here
- Join our Tourism Pro-Team Program
Helping tourism business leaders develop their skills to improve engagement, accountability and performance of the team. If you’d like to work with me so you can stop being reactive, have the difficult conversations and drive performance to get the results you want and know the business need then…message PRO to me here and I’ll get you all the details.
- Let’s get the Whole Team Together
Would you like a different perspective and someone else at the front of the room or on zoom/teams to lead regular and consistent team building, accountability, and engaging learning experiences, that drive results and outcomes for individuals, teams, and the business? If you feel a little challenged with everything going on, maybe sounding like a cracked recorded saying things repeatedly, or actually not 100% how to motivate and inspire the team, given the current nature of business, it may be useful for us to chat. Message TEAM to me here… and tell me a little about the business, your team, and what you’d like to work on together.
