Raving Fans

1. Satisfied customers are not enough; create Raving Fans

"Today you need Raving Fans. You have to create Raving Fans to be successful."

Raving Fans are essential. In today's competitive market, merely satisfied customers are not enough. They are easily swayed by competitors and have no true loyalty to your business. Raving Fans, on the other hand, are enthusiastic advocates who not only return but also bring others with them.

The problem with satisfaction: Most businesses aim for customer satisfaction, but this sets the bar too low. Satisfied customers may not complain, but they also don't actively promote your business. They're just "parked on your doorstep," ready to move when a better option comes along.

Creating Raving Fans: To create Raving Fans, you must go beyond meeting basic expectations. You need to consistently deliver exceptional experiences that surprise and delight customers, making them feel valued and eager to share their positive experiences with others.

2. Decide what you want: Create a vision of perfection centered on the customer

"You know the first secret: DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT. Next, he knew, he had to create a vision perfection centered on when the customer used the product."

Start with your vision. Before you can create Raving Fans, you must have a clear vision of what perfect customer service looks like in your organization. This vision should be centered on the customer's experience when using your product or service.

Be the source: Your vision is the foundation for everything that follows. It should be detailed and vivid, allowing you to mentally walk through every aspect of the customer experience. This clarity helps you identify areas for improvement and sets the standard for your team.

Aim for perfection: While perfection may not be achievable, having a vision of perfection gives you a target to strive for. It allows you to continually raise the bar and push beyond what others consider "good enough" service.

3. Discover what the customer wants: Align your vision with their needs

"All you need to do is discover the customers' vision of what they really want and then alter your vision if need be."

Listen actively. To create Raving Fans, you must understand what your customers truly want and need. This requires active listening and a willingness to adjust your vision based on customer feedback.

Uncover hidden needs: Often, customers may not explicitly state their needs or may say one thing while meaning another. It's crucial to:

• Listen to both the "music and the lyrics" of customer feedback
• Pay attention to nonverbal cues
• Ask probing questions to uncover underlying desires

Align visions: Once you understand your customers' vision, compare it to your own. Look for areas of alignment and be willing to adjust your vision to better meet customer needs. Remember, your vision should fill in the gaps where the customer's vision is incomplete.

4. Deliver Plus One: Consistently exceed expectations

"The third secret is Deliver Plus One."

Consistency is key. The foundation of creating Raving Fans is consistently delivering on your promises. Customers need to know they can rely on you every time, not just occasionally.

Go beyond expectations: Once you've established consistency, focus on exceeding expectations. This doesn't mean making grand gestures every time, but rather consistently doing a little more than what's expected.

The Plus One approach:

• Identify areas where you can add extra value
• Make small, meaningful improvements to the customer experience
• Continuously look for ways to surprise and delight customers
• Remember that small, consistent "extras" often have more impact than occasional big gestures

5. Implement systems to ensure consistency in service delivery

"To be consistent you have to have systems."

Systems drive consistency. To deliver consistent service, you need well-designed systems and processes. These ensure that every customer interaction meets your standards, regardless of which employee is involved.

Training is crucial: Having systems isn't enough; your team must be trained to follow them consistently. Invest in thorough training programs that:

• Teach employees the "why" behind each system
• Provide practice opportunities
• Offer ongoing reinforcement and support

Flexibility within systems: While systems provide a framework, employees should be empowered to make judgment calls when necessary. The goal is to achieve the desired result, not blindly follow rules. Train employees to understand when and how to adapt systems to better serve customers.

6. Listen to customers' spoken and unspoken needs

"We ask them and then we listen closely both to what they say and to what they don't say."

Active listening is crucial. To truly understand your customers, you must listen not only to what they say explicitly but also to what they imply or leave unsaid.

Beware of silence and "fine": When customers are silent or say everything is "fine," it often indicates underlying issues. Train your team to:

• Probe deeper when customers give non-committal responses
• Look for nonverbal cues that might contradict verbal feedback
• Create an environment where customers feel comfortable sharing honest feedback

Identify all customers: Remember that your customers may include more than just the end-user. Consider all stakeholders who interact with your product or service, such as:

• Decision-makers
• Influencers
• Support staff
• End-users

7. Embrace flexibility and continuous improvement

"Visions do only two things. They grow or they die. And when visions die, it's customer service that gets buried."

Keep your vision alive. A static vision quickly becomes outdated. To create and maintain Raving Fans, you must continuously evolve your vision based on changing customer needs and market conditions.

Be willing to change: Flexibility is crucial in customer service. Be prepared to:

• Adjust your systems and processes
• Update your product or service offerings
• Retrain staff to meet new customer expectations

Continuous improvement: Make ongoing enhancement a core part of your culture. Encourage employees at all levels to:

• Identify areas for improvement
• Suggest and implement changes
• Share best practices and lessons learned

8. Focus on one area of improvement at a time

"To start with, limit the number of areas where you want to make a difference."

Avoid overwhelming changes. When improving customer service, it's tempting to try and fix everything at once. However, this approach often leads to inconsistency and failure.

Start small, build momentum: Instead of attempting a complete overhaul:

• Choose one or two key areas to focus on initially
• Perfect these areas before moving on to others
• Use successes in these areas to build confidence and momentum

Manage expectations: Be clear about what you're improving and when. It's better to under-promise and over-deliver than to set unrealistic expectations that you can't consistently meet.

9. Use The Rule of One Percent for sustainable growth

"The rule of one percent reminds me that all I have to do is to improve by one percent. That I can do. If I improve one percent next week and again the week after that, by the end of the year I'm ahead by more than fifty percent."

Small improvements compound. The Rule of One Percent provides a manageable approach to continuous improvement. By focusing on small, consistent enhancements, you can achieve significant results over time.

Benefits of the One Percent approach:

• Makes large goals seem more achievable
• Allows for course corrections as you progress
• Keeps the team motivated with frequent small wins
• Accumulates to substantial improvements over time

Apply widely: Use this rule not just for customer service improvements, but for personal and professional growth in all areas of your life and business.

10. Treat customers as intelligent human beings

"By not listening to him, you're saying his thoughts have no value."

Respect builds loyalty. Treating customers with respect and valuing their opinions is crucial to creating Raving Fans. This approach goes beyond just providing good service; it's about building a relationship based on mutual respect.

Show you value their input:

• Actively seek customer feedback
• Implement suggestions when possible
• Explain why certain suggestions can't be implemented
• Keep customers informed about changes based on their input

Empower your customers: Provide them with information and options that allow them to make informed decisions. This demonstrates trust in their judgment and enhances their overall experience with your brand.

Last updated: January 23, 2025