Reaping the benefits of the 2011 Rugby World Cup

Friday, 23 October 2009 09:02

The time to start developing a "world class visitor experience" to ensure your business fully capitalises on the Rugby World Cup is right now, says Chris Bell.

Every business that interacts with visitors in 2011 has a responsibility to deliver the best service if we are to fully reap the benefits of the huge opportunities to enhance our reputation and gain from the positive word-of-mouth that result from a great visitor experience.

So, what is a commitment to develop a world-class visitor experience going to do for your business?

You will stand out from the crowd. In our experience, most businesses are looking for a sustainable competitive advantage, that's an advantage that is difficult for a competitor to copy, that's the kind of advantage worth investing in.

Your customers will talk about you and recommend you to others. Businesses are now starting to understand the power of a word-of-mouth recommendation, especially in a competitive market place with so many marketing messages coming at you, everyday.

Costs will reduce. More customers recommending you means less money spent on advertising. Happy customers complain less - complaints cost money and damage your reputation.

You will achieve lower staff turnover. People who enjoy their jobs stay longer, gain greater skills, build important relationships with customers, are more loyal and contribute more. High staff turnover increases costs and makes it more difficult to attract the right people.

Adopting a customer experience strategy is the start of an on-going journey, a journey of continuous improvement, a journey that engages everyone within the organisation and capitalises on their ideas.

So, what does a customer focused business strategy look like and how do you go about developing and implementing one?

Committed Leadership. Leaders create business cultures not by what they say but by what they do. The single biggest reason customer experience initiatives fail is that staff do not believe management is fully committed to the concept.

A Strategic Vision. Every organisation must have a clear view of where it is heading and how it intends to get there. And that vision must be communicated to all stakeholders, all the time.

Customer Experience Statement. You need to define the experience you will deliver to customers. This includes both physical exchanges and the emotional experience you want to convey to those who support your business.

Identify Touch Points. A touch point is any instance that a customer (or prospective customer) comes into contact with, and forms opinions, about your business. You must identify those touch points and manage the impression they create. Along with direct interaction, touch points are as varied as advertising, sponsorships, your delivery van, or a phone call.

Writing Service Standards. Create measurable service standards for each of your touch points. You can use these standards to determine how you are performing. With the right service standards, you will create a system you can use to continuously improve your customer' experiences. This ensures consistency of service.

Measurement. Remeber the principle 'what get measured gets done'. It makes no sense to put in place service standards unless you determine whether they are being met.

Continuous Improvement. Today's "wow!" is tomorrow's ordinary. Continuous improvement will ensure the wows keep coming and the competition keeps scratching its heads. To maintain your competitive advantage you must continue to meet and exceed your customers' expectations.

Source: Tourism Business Magazine (June/July 2009) page 18.