205. The Customer Experience You Didn't Know You Were Creating

Speaker A: Hi, I'm, uh, Melissa, and I'm the young one.

Speaker B: You know what, you always say that. John, are you sick? Okay, well, that's fine. I'm Corey and I'm the emotionally stable one.

Speaker A: Okay? I cried one time on the treadmill at the gym. One time. Calm down.

Speaker B: We're business coaches and experts in mindset support and strategy building, with our goal being to help your businesses scale, grow,

Speaker A: and pivot when things aren't working. We don't believe in throwing it all away. Sometimes all, uh, you need is a reboot. And that's why we're here to help. Hello, my friend, and welcome back to another episode of the Business Reboot podcast. We are officially kicking off brand new episodes. We hope you enjoyed our series this summer, uh, hearing all the ways that people feel like they are winning and succeeding in their business. And we're just excited to start with some new fun ideas that we've got post, uh, post summer. So, Corey, are we ready for this?

Speaker B: We are ready. I am so excited about this conversation. We have been talking about it all day and unpacking it and then repacking it and making all the notes and it's a good one, y'.

Speaker A: All.

Speaker B: It's a good one.

Speaker A: It's a good one. Okay, so let me just tell you the skinny. We're going to talk about how sometimes your regulars can chase away future customers. So here's what happened. We went on vacation and we go to this sweet little quaint island, uh, in Georgia. And, uh, we love it and it's great. So we always have this like, ritual in our family, this tradition, um, that on Fridays we go to see the sunrise and then we'll go have breakfast. And it's great. The doors of this particular place we go to, they open at 7:30. And here's the deal. People wait. They'll, they'll get there at seven and they'll wait in line to be able to walk through the doors. So we were like patiently waiting for like 15 minutes. And the second that the doors opened, these two older gentlemen walked straight past every single person that was in that line. And they like go behind the counter, they grab coffee cups and fill up their coffee cups. They shout out their orders across the line to the cooks and then they walk to the back of the business, like to the back of the restaurant so they can sit in this big section, right? No explanation, no, no acknowledgement to the dozen people that are waiting in line to get in this place. Just like, the rules don't apply to us. Type mentality. And so, um, when we sat down at a table, uh, by the time we literally, like, got our menus, they were already done eating right, which is like, fine, whatever. But it was. It was nuts. And we're all watching. And by the way, we're not the only ones watching. Everybody else is watching, too. So my husband is, uh, he's a bolder human than I am. And he was like, hey, can I ask you a question? Who are these two guys? And the waiter goes, oh, they're friends with the owners here, like, five days a week. They don't ever pay for their food. They, you know, just are regulars that come in. They're good to, uh, us, so we're good to them. And it was at that moment that I realized, like, these guys probably feel really special. They feel like they might as well be owners of this place. But everybody else that waited, um, they just felt super invisible. And I'm going to be 100% with you. It was.

Speaker B: I'd be mad.

Speaker A: Uh, it was off putting. It made me want to, you know, I'm in perimenopause. So I was like, somebody, Jesus, be the estrogen patch. Because I'm not trying to flip a table at this restaurant.

Speaker B: Be the estrogen patch over my body, please.

Speaker A: It was so frustrating. So what we're going to talk about today is, like, how your regulars could be, like, super off putting to new customers and just this kind of, like, weird loyalty culture, especially in brick and mortars, that, uh, it gets mixed up. Like, the whole point of having a regular is somebody feel seen and known. I'm like, there's nothing more special to me than walking in a place and them knowing what you want to eat or to order. Like, I freaking love that. But you do not have to do it at the expense of everybody that's new that walks in. So Corey's got kind of a little story like that, too. I will tell you, it did not pan out so great because them heifers ended up punishing us for asking questions about the meal. We sat and watched our food. Just look at us for 10 minutes under some. Under some heat lamps. And then, um, my husband, again, is more confrontational than me. And when we left, he was like, hey, if you're gonna talk about us, you can just point at me directly. Like, I can take it. I mean, it was. It was what we saw them, like, badmouthing a large party that pulled. That came in. Because these two guys ended up sitting in the only space for large parties. And one of the waiters said something in a much more aggressive manner than I will say it to you, but he was like, um, oh, they can wait. That tin top. They can wait because those two guys are back. Uh, it just was, it, uh, was the most off putting situation.

Speaker B: Wild to me, when you think about client experience, and that's, that's where we're going with this whole thing of what is your client experience? Say to the new people that you're attracting, but also to the people that have brand loyalty to you. Um, I was, I was. Melissa was unpacking the story with me because we're back fresh from her vacation. And I was like, oh, my gosh, what's so funny is that you're coming at this, having an experience as being a vacationer, like a tourist in an area. And I have had a very similar experience, but I'm like the. I'm a local. And so I was going to lunch with a friend and she's like, hey, let's meet at this one place. Place y'.

Speaker A: All.

Speaker B: This place. There is a line and they're open seasonally. There is a line out into the parking lot, and it's a great place, but you know, you need to get there before the doors open and get in line. And so that's what I had done. She was on her way and I was like, hey, I'm in. I'm, um, standing in line. Well, I was watching two other large parties in front of me who were obviously on vacation. We live in a vacation town. And they were all talking about what's. They were trying to figure out the process. So, like, you, you wait in line and then you go, you order, uh, and then you go get your table. Like, is that what we're understanding? So I'm listening to all these conversations as I'm waiting. And they were like, yes, you go get us a table. And told two of the teenage girls, go get us a table. Well, the girl sat down and a wait staff person came over and said, hey, you can't sit down until you've ordered your food. You can't like, save tables. And so they were like, oh, okay. So they went back, told their parents. And so I'm listening to this unpacking happening. I'm like, well, they, they don't know how this works. Then we all stand there and watch a young family, they had kids with them, but then there was also like grandparents involved, come over and sit down at a table, and they ordered from the table. They knew the people, like wait staff, you could tell or owners or whatever kind of like what you're talking about, Melissa. Um, those of us who were standing in line just, like, looked like, mouths hanging open, like, you got to be kidding me. You just chastised these two young girls for trying to save a table for a large party, told them to go back in line, and now we're watching you just sit. These people take their order at the table, which doesn't happen at this restaurant. And, like, literally, I walked away, and there were three families in line ahead of me. Two of those families walked away. And so I said to Melissa, I was like, what they're not realizing is that not only did you put a bad taste in the mouth of those visitors, I am a local. I eat there regularly, and I'm going to continue going back, but not whenever. That's the experience that you're. That you're getting. And it just kind of feels like I'm standing in this line of 25 people, and they just walked past everybody to the front of the line, and they got their order taken at the table, like, dude, come on. So wrong. So wrong.

Speaker A: It's. It's awful. And it's just. It's one of those where you're taking the thing that could be the best thing for you. You know, we are all about elongating a client experience, about creating loyal, like, followers and family out of your business. But do not do on me, is what I'm saying, in exchange for, uh, people who you feel like are loyal. And so we're gonna, like, zip and just kind of give you some things to consider, um, just to, like, audit your business. I feel like every quarter, you should audit your business from some perspective, whether it be, um, just, like, visually how it looks, thinking about the aesthetics of your branding and your images and your website and all that stuff to really, like, the internal culture of your business. Right. Whether it's a brick and mortar or you're just online or you're a solopreneur, like, all of those things. Let's look at it through that lens. So the first thing is really that familiarity can create blind spots. As business owners, we are naturally wanting to build relationships with the people who've been with us for a long time. That's really healthy. Like, that is. That is a good thing to do. But over time, if you stop seeing the experience through fresh eyes, that can, uh, it can mess you up. Because what feels normal to us can start to be incredibly off putting to somebody who's walking in for the first time. So really, like, there are questions that you should be asking yourself about your business. Like, what does it look like for somebody who's never been here? Um, you know, would this feel welcoming or exclusive? And by the way, exclusive is not a dirty word. Uh, we love some exclusive exclusivity, and we'll touch on that a little later in the episode. But, um, but does this particular behavior feel like. Like it could be interpreted as a mean girl? Like, you're not in. Maybe clicky is the word that we should say instead of exclusive. And then also what. I understand what's happening if nobody explained it. And we, we talked about this from the perspective of people we've worked with before. Like, if somebody, if you walk in to somebody's store and they're like, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go back to the 90s with this terminology. If you walked in and somebody was

Speaker B: like, what's up, hoe bag?

Speaker A: Okay, like, uh, okay. Like, um, maybe if I have a friend with me and you call me a hoebag when I walk in your front door, they're gonna be like, what is that about? Whereas that might be a term of endearment to me if you said that girl. You know, like, you know, but, um, but that, that could be. If you have to explain it to somebody else, they might not think that's cool. So that's really, like just, just questions. M. To ask yourself about interacting with your business. And again, whether it's a brick and mortar and somebody's walking through the front door or you're just corresponding to an email, like, how. How are people going to feel for the first time if they have no experience with you?

Speaker B: Right. Well, I think to second point here is every customer is watching. You know, customers don't just evaluate your product. They're evaluating your culture and the client experience, the whole client journey. So how you treat people tells customers what kind of business you really run. People are notice things like who gets acknowledged, who gets ignored, who is waiting, who isn't, who, uh, has access and who doesn't.

Speaker A: So that culture, who bust through your door at 7:30 and 12 seconds and, and makes me want to battle them.

Speaker B: Coffee.

Speaker A: Battle them with a coffee mug. I have never in my life. See, see, I'm too deep in. I'm too deep in.

Speaker B: Right, well, and this is where culture is often observed before it's ever experienced. And that goes back to what you were saying too, Melissa. And I think that it's really important to, to lead with that. And this is how it works. Same thing with the restaurant that I was talking about. Like, if you're somebody that's new, you're just kind of watching people, like, try to figure this out instead of there being somebody out there, be like, hey, this is what we're doing. You're going to get in line. If you want to drink order, I'll be glad to take it. Like, sometimes that happens, but not always. And so if it's somebody, uh, doing it for the first time, like, there really needs to be part of your client journey or your customer experience that lets them know this is how it works in our establishment and that they're not watching people get ignored, people getting acknowledged, people waiting and people not waiting. That's not cool. And it makes people go to the next business over or the next restaurant over and have lunch and spend their money there.

Speaker A: So. Because they will do that in a heartbeat. And I'm letting you know, we have been, we, we've been going to this particular island for 20 years. Like our anniversary is this week and it is 21 years that we've been married. And we started going there, um, I guess like our second year of marriage. And I'm like, we, we go every single year. We have so many memories there. Well, let me let you know, I ain't never going. Don't again. I'm just kidding. It's not, it's incredible. But that's, it's like just so off putting. Like, I won't go back. Um, okay. And then the next thing too is to think about the, the, the loyalty that you've got with some of these people, right? Loyalties, though it should never require somebody else. An inconvenience. So you want to be the person that like, rewards your regulars again. I love feeling familiar. What have I always said about travel, Corey? Like, I love discovering new places. But there is something really special to me as an individual about being familiar with places. Like, I love to go somewhere I've been before so that I can share and recommend things that I love there. And, um, and, and like, you want to reward people for coming back and choosing you to spend their money multiple times. You do something like if you, if you owned a restaurant, like buy their breakfast, sponsor their kids, team, I don't know, know their names, reserve a table for them if that's like your thing, give them a special place, they always get the back booth.

Speaker B: But not the tin top.

Speaker A: I'm sorry, no, not the tin top where you tell people they have to wait. Um, but don't like Reward lo by making everybody else feel less important. Okay, great hospitality. And we. If there is nothing else in Corey and I, it is hospitality. That's like our huge thing. Uh, both of us, we are Southern women of faith. We can whip out a casserole for 50 in no time flat. But, um, but it expands the table. Like great hospitality expands the table. It does not create a VIP section at the expense of everybody else that's there.

Speaker B: Well, let's talk about the VIP experience real quick because we've been a part of conferences, of retreats, of different, different activities. I watch Southern hospitality. I know y'. All. That's my guilty, um, pleasure. Or my guilty, like my guilty pleasure. Um, and I would hate to. I hate to admit publicly that I do watch trash, um, TV sometimes, but

Speaker A: she does, she really does. One time, one time she chased some people from that show down the street in Charleston as they walked into a liquor store. And we had to run on King Street.

Speaker B: So there is, there is an establishment on Southern Hospitality that is on King street and they, like, have bottle service at their nightclub. Or maybe it's an upsell of a conference ticket that we have, like, been a part of and we've been on, on staff or we've been speaking at places. It can be very well done. Okay. No matter. But also, no matter what the ticket they purchase, everybody feels seen and appreciated and like they had the time of their life when they leave. Not just the people who paid more. Yes, the people who did the upsell, they do have a little more access, but not at the expense of everybody else. There's likely a separate section that they go to or an event. The night before, I was a part of, um, a women's conference. It was like a two day event. Well, if you got the VIP ticket, you went to her, the lady who was like, doing the whole thing. She was a very big name. Uh, she has millions of listeners on her podcast. You got to go to her house the night in LA before, and there was a whole dinner and things. So you got to have a really elevated experience for those that paid more. But it wasn't at the expense, expense, or the price of those of us who were sitting, you know, who were coming to, paid the regular ticket. And so that's something that we want to, to remember that there are people who do thrive on being exclusive. But like Melissa and I said, there is a time and a place and it can be done really well. But also remember that sometimes if you want things to expand, just have a bigger table.

Speaker A: Yeah, 100. I think that it's important that people feel special when they walk in the doors of whatever it is that you do. Um, you. You want to make everybo. Everybody feel like a regular. Right?

Speaker B: Right. Well, and I think that, like, think about the places that you love. Usually it's because they made you feel known or seen. They know your order. They. They recognize you. It's kind of like cheers. You go into the bar, Cheers. I Norm, like, everybody knows your name. That was a very special show for a reason. Um, and. And that's the goal, but not to create insiders that take advantage of your other customers that are coming in. You. You don't want to make outsiders immediately feel like they don't belong you. The whole goal is to make them feel like they do. Like, you should be opening your arms and having more of those regulars being created, like Melissa and her family and other people, because you want them to recommend you out leaving with a bad experience. Like what Melissa's family and the other families that were there waiting at 7:30 in the morning, you know that they're likely not going to refer or recommend that restaurant again.

Speaker A: Well, and my mother is one of those people. God love her. I can't wait for her to listen to this episode. I'm talking about you bar directly. Right. Pointing a finger at you in your head. Um, because she is one that, like, she wants dining to be an experience. And it's. And she will go sit a restaurant for five hours and let that be the whole day. Like, she loves it. And she'll order a cocktail, she'll order a glass of wine, she'll sit. She wants it to be an experience. She's not m paying atrocious amounts of money for food because it's an experience. It is a thing for her. And so when she gets bad service, it's like, ooh, okay, like, now I'm watching. And so we're sitting there with her, and the longer that things go poorly at a restaurant, the more I'm like, tick tock, tick, tock, tick tock in the corner. Because I know the clock is ticking before she starts talking. And I was like, we gotta get out of here.

Speaker B: Because.

Speaker A: Because then now I'm m going, well, I'm about to. I'm about to rupture. We go, y' all know, maybe, man, my grits are cold. And so it's just one of those where it is. It is just off. It's so off putting to feel like you're overseen. And we, uh, you know, I Love exclusive deals. I love exactly like Corey was talking about a second ago, like feeling like you're getting something extra and charge for it. Like don't, don't not charge for it, but don't do it in a way that's going to make people who are looking to get that experience, like they want to be the regulars too. We want to treat our people so well that like, people want to be that for you. They want you to know their name when they walk in. So yeah, it's just, uh, kind of like our last point here is that entitlement can become this part of your brand. Um, if people are getting the same experience over and over and over again, the owners probably don't even notice it anymore. And in fact, I would venture to say that the owners of this particular restaurant have. They're not in there very often, so they don't know that some of their staff is cussing about their customers that are waiting and waiting, having gotten there early and are having to wait until these two gentlemen who have taken up the largest section of the restaurant leave. By the way, not paying there. It's free. Right? Um, the employees think it's normal. In fact, they not only thought it was normal, but they thought it was okay to uh, cuss at a volume in which other customers can hear about these people who are waiting. Let me tell you, if I had been waiting and I had me some little kids, y' all to see me on the news. I'm m just throwing that out to you. You would have seen me on the news. Um, because regulars then certainly, except expect this to be a part of your brand. Like they, they now are entitled as well, so they expect it. Um, and every new customer is going to notice. What can feel really harmless and routine internally can slowly become a part of the story that, that people are going to tell about your business.

Speaker B: Can I also say this too? This goes back to. Just a quick story that I always go back to with photography, is that, uh, especially if you are in a small town, everybody talks. And so if you do free pictures or free things or bonus things for one client or two or three clients, because you're like they are friends or they're. And I'm not saying don't be a. Don't price yourself for gener. Do price yourself for generosity. Melissa and I definitely are advocates for that so that you do have the ability to be gracious and to be kind. But when you make that a thing and word gets out. Wait a minute. Sally didn't have to Pay for her pick her kids senior pictures. But I'm paying all this money. Uh, uh, no, no, no. That is a thing that will hurt your business, your reputation and the culture of, of doing business with you in the client experience so darn fast. You don't think that people talk because people will be like, oh, you know, somebody refers. It takes one person to slip up and say, how much was it? Because I really want to get my pictures done. Oh my gosh. We had a great experience with great. I don't know, I didn't have to pay for mine. Uh, do you think that that's going to make the person who's getting ready to pay a thousand dollars for portraits want to pay a thousand dollars? Remember, they knew that she didn't have to pay anything like that is an icky taste in their mouth. And I'm just telling you, don't do your business like that. Do not do your business like that.

Speaker A: What is it that we say, Corey, give us a statement when Friends, friends. Now here's what I'm just going to also throw to you. Um, it took one time. I sold one product. I sold presets for your, um, iPhone that I had created in like 2021. Uh, it. And I gave this entire group of women who had gone to this conference with a discount so that they could save $5 off these $30 presets. They were not expensive. Um, and I gave them all a discount code. And guess how many people used that discount code? Not one of them. And they. And what was the response that they. I was like, y' all have a discount code used to use the code? They were like, no, they're worth full price. The people who do not know you are going to be the ones that support you the most. And this sounds terrible, like, my friends don't love me. No, my friends do. But you have to teach them to do that. And then guess what?

Speaker B: It has to be a standard and a boundary.

Speaker A: It does. And then you're. Then your. And then your energy and then your generosity and all those things is so greatly appreciated because they do not expect it. But we always tell people like when, when somebody is coming to you and they're saying they just expect free, they will encourage the fool out of you to get things started. But then the second you give them a price tag for the thing that they want from you is the second that you have to remind yourself that like, uh, the people who are supporting the most are the ones. I don't know, what does that say about it? Either says something about me or says about you. And so we always say, you can pick my brain after you pick your payment method. And that felt so heartless for so long. But it really is a good test. My daughter is looking to play collegiate sports. And one thing that I keep reading about in this forum that we're a part of that like gives you all the tools and the steps to get your kid recruited for college sports is, um, the broken leg test. Like which team, if you break your leg prior to starting the year or in mid season, what are they going to do? Are they going to drop you because you're just there to fill a space? Or are they willing to invest in you and you be like a part of their team and they're going to help rally around you and get you the best PT and the best help and the best service? Like that's the broken leg test. And um, and it works the same for businesses like which ones are, are going to show, uh, up and like be a part of your story or the ones you know, the friends who are joining your business, are they going to be the ones who, when you can no longer serve them for free, they don't want to be a part of it. And so this whole situation that put such a negative taste in my mouth made me go like, the people who really are good to you, like this waiter was like, they're good to us, so we're good to them. That baby, they're giving you a terrible, terrible, uh, view from perspective of new customers. But, and they're, they're getting free food. So what is it that they do now? Mind you, here's what I don't know. There are a lot of things I don't know. They could be investors in the business. They could be the grandfathers of the people. I don't, I don't know who they are.

Speaker B: Do you know what my brain does? This is me. I go to Ozark. Oh, I go straight to Somebody's running drugs. Yeah. I have watched too much television.

Speaker A: I think I've been pandemic.

Speaker B: During the pandemic, I see anything suspicious or funky, I look at Kevin, I'm like, ozark, they're doing drugs. It's a drug revenge.

Speaker A: But you know, who knows? I think restaurants are notorious for cocaine. I don't know why are we talking about this?

Speaker B: It's fine.

Speaker A: Okay, we're gonna wrap this up.

Speaker B: For questions that business owners should ask themselves that don't have anything to do with Ozark. Are there unwritten rules? Only your Regulars know, like the process of how do you get in an order or how do you do business? Like, is there some, something you need to think about? Does anyone receive treatment, uh, that would confuse a first time customer? Have you accidentally created an inner circle?

Speaker A: Click, click, click, click.

Speaker B: Nobody else has access to. Um, would a new customer feel just as valued as your oldest customer? Oh, that's a good one too. So m. So in just closing this, like loyalty is worth celebrating. Hear us very clearly in that. But never celebrate one customer in a way that diminishes another. And that is what this whole, these, all the scenarios that we've shared goes back to is that in Melissa's situation and in my situation, celebrating or honoring or being loyal to one set of customers was diminishing to the others who are watching. And let us tell you that the businesses that last aren't the ones with the best regulars. They're the ones that make every new customer want to become one.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker B: So impactful. And you will have a long standing, thriving business that is always bringing in new people and building that loyalty. And those regulars, I love that.

Speaker A: So just remember, like, take a walk through your business this week with fresh eyes. Like, just pretend you've never been to your own business before. What would make you feel welcome there? What would make you feel like it? Like maybe you didn't belong there? Um, those little things that you no longer notice might be the thing that's keeping somebody from coming back. And that is the last thing that we want to do. So, um, we hope that this has been helpful. Do that little quarterly audit. Use this as an opportunity to really address the culture of what's happening in your business and see how the actions that you have from the beginning of your circle of success when you're, you're walking, you know, walking in the door of your business, whether that door be a proverbial one, through your email or social connections in your DMs, or an actual front door of a brick and mortar. Uh, use this as kind of a point to just uh, reassess and especially as we're getting ready to enter what is undoubtedly the busiest season for any business, um, it's a good time to, to kind of recalibrate and put your eyes on it and, and just address things that way. So we thank you for listening. We will be back next week. You can connect with us on our website@thebusinessreboot.com please drop us a DM, say hello or leave us a review on this here podcast. Wherever you're listening. And, uh, you can find us at Business Reboot. Thank you for joining us this week. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode of the Business Reboot podcast.