Recently I landed at an airport after 36 hours of international travel, grabbed my bags, boarded a shuttle bus, and was promptly yelled at by the driver to get off. No explanation given. Then, not even five minutes later, I was greeted like family by the next one. A big smile and encouragement to “Come on in!” even though there was far less room than the previous bus.
Same company. Completely different experiences.
That’s the problem.
The shuttle company probably doesn’t think of itself as being in the customer experience business. But it is just, like every organization is. Waiting for another shuttle was not the issue (after 36 hours, what’s five more minutes anyway!); it was how the driver handled the interaction.
Consistency is something many organizations struggle with, whether that’s through the sales process, during onboarding, or through support channels.
The first interaction made me not want to use the shuttle service again, while the second interaction put a smile on my face. However, the second interaction didn’t erase the first. Now I’m hesitant about using that shuttle in the future, unsure of what the experience will be like.
That’s the power of consistency.
Customers don’t need perfection. They need confidence.
Confidence that they’ll have a positive experience, and that even if something goes wrong, it’ll be handled well. That confidence comes from setting a standard where great service isn’t the exception; it’s the expectation.
Plenty of outside factors can affect how someone shows up in an interaction. But part of having a strong service mentality is doing your best to show up consistently and positively, regardless of those factors.
When experiences vary greatly from one employee to another, customers are left wondering what they’ll get next time. That uncertainty chips away at trust.
Great experiences aren’t built on exceptional employees alone. Every organization has top performers. The real question is whether their best practices are being replicated across the entire team or maybe even the entire organization.
Customers shouldn’t have to get lucky to have a great experience. They shouldn’t have to cross their fingers and hope that they’ll land the right sales or customer service representative. The strongest organizations remove that “luck factor” entirely. They make great service the standard, no matter who’s representing the brand.
Consistency builds trust. Trust builds loyalty.
So, how do you ensure consistently positive experiences and a high level of service?
One of the most effective ways is through White Glove Service Training. At Ideba, we help organizations turn best practices into standards, and the results show it, including increases in Customer Satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores.
When best practices become company-wide standards, service stops depending on individual personalities and starts becoming part of the culture. That’s the shift that makes experiences predictable, and predictably good.
What companies come to mind when you think of consistently great service? We’d love to hear your favorites and what makes them stand out.
Kristen Higgins – Research Manager
