Five ways to improve the emotional impact of your services, so you create a really positive experience …

Services are experienced and like it or not – we can’t help ‘feeling’ something, as we experience every service we undertake.

Feelings are powerful, they’re emotive – they can make us feel special … or make us feel small.

And if you’re responsible for delivering service success … you should consider how people feel as they move through the experience you’re providing.

So, here’s five ways to improve the emotional impact of your services, so you create a really positive experience …

1. Make Customers Feel Special, Not Processed.

Get personal ! Go beyond the basics of knowing someone’s name.

How to do it: Go beyond scripted greetings—acknowledge previous interactions, preferences, and history. Instead of “How can I help?”, try “Last time you called, you were sorting [issue]. Did that get resolved?”

Why it matters: Customers feel valued and understood, rather than just another number in the system.

2. Train your People to Connect, Not Just Solve the Problem.

The ‘Empathy Over Efficiency’ Rule …

How to do it: Shift from “How fast can we close this?” to “How can I make this experience better for the customer?”. It can help to acknowledge a customer’s  frustration before jumping into solutions too.

Why it matters: Customers who feel heard are more forgiving of delays or mistakes—but those who feel ignored will walk away.

3. Try and Build Small, Unscripted, Acts that leave a Lasting Impact, into your Service Journey.

Create ‘Surprise and Delight’ moments …

How to do it: A surprise bottle of wine or cream tea in your Air B&B, a personal call from an executive on your team, leaving a great book you’ve enjoyed after you finish a meeting, posting a hand written note, offering an extra month’s support … goodwill gestures can surprise and delight … and they make you – the giver – feel positive about the experience too.
Why it matters: Creating delightful moments are memorable – it sparks Oxytocin in people which makes for a fabulous experience. 

(You can learn more about how important Oxytocin is to your service experience right here).

4. Own a Mistake and then go Overboard to Fix it. 

Problems create an opportunity to make people feel good.

How to do it: If service fails, apologise personally and go beyond just fixing it. Example: If a hotel guest’s room isn’t ready, offer a free drink or room upgrade instead of just saying, “It’ll be ready in 30 minutes.”

Why it matters: Turning mistakes into memorable recovery moments can create stronger loyalty than flawless service.

5. Build Trust by being Proactive … 

Uncertainty can create anxiety and make for a poor service experience  …

How to do it: If there’s a delay, don’t wait for your customer to ask for an update—reach out first. Be like Uber … let people know how far away from their service you are “I wanted to update you—our technician is 15 minutes away. We’ll make sure everything is sorted when we get there.”
Why it matters: Customers feel reassured, rather than frustrated and can make use of any gap time that arises.

If you would like a download of these five ways to build emotion into your service experience as a handy remider – you  can download it here