I sat down at the table and spread out my notebook, my laptop and my two pens.
I always grab a table that’s slightly too big for one, as I need to spread a little…
Now – I’m not here for long. Generally I have a rule that I don’t work in cafés, so I’m just here to brainstorm some ideas over a double espresso.
After I finish ordering, I notice one of the waitstaff chatting to an elderly couple at a table across the room.
I can’t help but hear them talking about their garden, and how their son came to visit them on the weekend to help out.
The waiter listened with interest, and asked them a couple questions about the green wall they were trying to grow at the back of the garden…
The conversation finished with the waiter leaving a good 5 minutes later, and the elderly couple laughing about a mistake their older son made, and then they finished off their meal.
It was easy to see that they enjoyed not just the food that day, but the experience – they enjoyed the way he made them feel in the conversation, which, he decided to spark up off of his own initiative.
When we are the audience, customer or user of your product or service, how you choose to make us feel is an important. Of course, this is often called the “user experience” or “customer experience.”
What is not so obvious though is that this isn’t just limited to your website, whether or not the seats are comfortable or if the music is too loud.
How we feel when we engage with you, when we walk in, when we leave, or if and when you follow up with us all plays a role.
The people you seek to serve – how do you want them to feel? What will they tell their friends based on this feeling?
Are your actions mapping to this desired feeling you are looking to evoke?
Retention, client life-cycle and growth are emotionally driven. How you make us feel is your brand, your marketing and usually, your choice.
