Vol. XIV, No. 8, September 2014
Great customer service triggers feeling loved
In 2013, American Express commissioned a scientific study on the physiological, emotional and psychological impact of good service. The study findings included:
- When 1,620 consumers were tested under laboratory conditions, 63% said they felt their heart rate increase when they thought about receiving great customer service.
- For 53% of those tested, receiving great service triggered the same cerebral reactions as feeling loved.
The big takeaway from the study was, "When it comes to customer service, it's not about what consumers think. Great service is about feelings."
We have one takeaway of our own. It's that using the term customer service really gets in the way of achieving such positive emotions. When we call it service, that only suggests the mechanics of transactions. The term that we should be using, at least in the location-based entertainment industry, is guest hospitality. Hospitality not only includes the mechanics, but also deals with making people feel good. We need to consider them as guests, as Disney does, so everyone on staff instinctively understands that is all about being a great host, about hospitality, which is so much more than just the service component. When you call them guests and staff hosts, the very words guests and hosts tells your staff exactly what they job is, to make people feel great.
The bottom line is make your guests feel loved and they will become loyal guests, as everyone wants to maintain relationships that make them feel loved and good about themselves.
