Learning from the Celebrity Experience Expert

Today I am delighted to bring you Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience, and someone I am pleased to call my friend! As she’s on a whirlwind blog book tour, I only had time to slow her down for 5 questions about her book and how managers can implement red carpet customer service!

Phil: What is red carpet customer service?

Donna: Red-Carpet Customer Service is demonstrated when a service professional has mastered the basics of service, adds the “and then some” and customers walk away feeling as though they’ve been treated like Hollywood celebrities.

Phil: Why is red carpet customer service so important?

Donna: From a business standpoint, there is no better way to differentiate your company in a competitive marketplace than by providing an exceptional customer experience. In today’s world, people are used to receiving poor customer service and they talk about it – with their friends, on blogs, on social networking sites. You can give them something else to talk about – an experience that is so uniquely positive, they can’t wait to come back and bring friends. Every company featured in The Celebrity Experience because of their extraordinary service has seen real bottom-line results because of their efforts.

Phil: What is 1 simple and inexpensive way companies can institute a "red carpet customer service policy?"

Donna: You can start by combing through the experience your customer has with you from start to finish, and eliminating any of the negatives from the process. For instance, John Wood, CEO of Hub Plumbing and Mechanical, Inc. in Boston, MA knew that his customers were worried about inviting strangers in their home and disliked getting voice mail. He developed a strict nametag and uniform policy, and sends each customer an email that includes a photo of their plumber so they know who to expect when they open the door. He also hired people for 24 hours a day to answer his telephone so customers always hear a live person on the other end. He eliminated the negatives with those simple changes and immediately differentiated himself from other plumbers in his area.

Phil: What’s your favorite personal example of red carpet customer experience?

Donna: My husband and I recently stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. This is a hotel which is included in my book and I am not surprised when their employees (or STARS, as they are called), who know me as the author of The Celebrity Experience, give me extraordinary service. They have been told to take excellent care of me and my guests, and they do.

However, one morning my husband and I went down to a little shop in the resort to look for coffee we could brew in our room. The woman in the shop did not know me or my husband from Adam.

Jim, my husband, asked if they sold coffee. They didn’t and the woman asked him, “didn’t you get coffee in your room?” “Yes,” Jim said, “but I drink a LOT of coffee.” We all laughed.

Without a word, the woman picked up the phone. When she hung up, she told my husband, “It’s all taken care of.” We got back to our room later that day to find no less than 20 packets of coffee sitting on the counter! To top it off, without our asking, the coffee was replenished daily. Now there’s an employee who’s been empowered to give her customers red-carpet service!

Phil: What is one thing managers can do to inspire greater red carpet customer service in their employees?

Donna: Treat your employees as you want them to treat your customers and reward them in tangible and intangible ways every time they “Make It Great” for a customer.

Thanks Donna for stopping by and helping me Make It Great!

This interview has been a part of Donna Cutting’s Blog Tour.

Yesterday, the blog tour stopped at these blogs

   
• Andrea Nierenberg’s blog

   

• Dr. Sally Witt will conduct a book review on her blog.

Today, you can also read about the book at:

   
• Betty Lynch / My Country Kitchen

   

• Becky Wyatt / Becky Wyatt Online

And tomorrow the blog tour continues:      

   
• Wendy Piersall / CEO of Sparkplugging, will be hosting a guest blog by Donna about how to be a A-list customer.

   

• Heidi Richards/founder of WECAI and Virtual Women’s Blog

   

• Carol Deckert will be interviewing Donna LIVE at 7pm on her Ladies In Business Today

Buy The Celebrity Experience to get your own copy of Donna’s book.