How to keep customers coming back | Shep Hyken interview

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You don't need to be convinced that customer loyalty is important.

If you're reading this, you know that already. The real challenge is achieving it. How do you get customers to keep coming back?

That's the question I posed to New York Times bestselling author, Shep Hyken. He's written a new book on customer loyalty called I'll Be Back.

I've previously interviewed Hyken and he always provides a lot of great insights. Check out our conversations about the importance of convenience and how to create an amazing customer experience.

I'll Be Back is now available on Amazon.

Quote from bestselling author, Shep Hyken: “Loyalty is tied to an emotional connection.”

Hyken answered a number of important questions in our interview:

  • Why do customers leave a business? (:48)

  • What is the difference between repeat business and loyalty? (2:05)

  • How do customers develop an emotional connection with a business? (4:23)

  • Why is it dangerous to copy the competition? (8:26)

  • How do you identify what's so great about your business? (13:47)

You can watch the full interview or scroll down to read the highlights.

Why do customers leave a business?

Hyken shared some insights from the 2021 Achieving Customer Amazement survey. The study found some of the top reasons customers leave a business include:

  • Rudeness or apathy

  • Not easy to do business with

  • A competitor is even easier to do business with

Listen to Hyken share more at :48 in the interview.

What is the difference between repeat business and loyalty?

A customer who repeatedly gives you their business might appear to be loyal, but Hyken makes a clear distinction between a repeat customer and a loyal one.

A repeat customer is someone who continues to buy from you. The danger is they can easily be swooped up by a competitor.

This makes intuitive sense to me.

There's a car wash near my house. It's fairly convenient, but the car wash is frequently closed for maintenance. So I can't always count on getting my car cleaned.

I was a repeat customer until another, more reliable carwash opened a mile away.

Hyken described customer loyalty as an emotional connection. You might go out of your way to do business with this company, and price is no longer as important.

Hear more about repeat business versus loyalty at the 2:05 mark in the interview.

How do customers develop an emotional connection with a business?

If customer loyalty comes from an emotional connection, then it makes sense for a business to try and create one.

Hyken explained that consistency is at the heart of that emotional connection. Customers can count on a business to be consistently good, so the backbone of that connection is trust.

Go to the 4:23 mark to hear more.

Why is it dangerous to copy the competition?

Hyken argues that copying a competitor won't set you apart, because you'll be doing the same thing someone else is doing. Even worse, you might not be able to do it as well, which might set you back.

So what should you do instead?

Hyken shares six steps to help you stand out. You can get the book and read them in Chapter 15 or go to 8:26 in the interview.

How can you identify what's so great about your business?

Successful businesses are really good at leveraging their strengths. In our interview, Hyken shared that finding the strength of your business starts with understanding the problem your customer is trying to solve.

For example, there are a lot of delis in Portland, Oregon. Many of them seem pretty much the same.

One way that Elephants Delicatessen wins loyal customers in a crowded market is by focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

You can hear more from Hyken at 13:47 in the interview.

Conclusion

Even though I've been a customer service trainer for many years, I always learn something valuable from Shep Hyken.

I think you will, too.

Check out the interview and the be sure to grab a copy of I'll Be Back.

How to Create an Amazing Customer Experience

Advertising disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What do you experience when you encounter a brand for the first time?

According to New York Times bestselling author, Shep Hyken, new customers experience uncertainty. They don't know exactly what to expect from a company or its products. 

Even if that company has a reputation, customers don't know that their experience will match what they've heard.

In the new edition of his book, The Cult of the Customer, Hyken explains how to move customers from the "Cult of Uncertainty" to the "Cult of Amazement."

Quote from bestselling author, Shep Hyken. “Amazement is above average, but it’s above average all of the time.”

Hyken and I discussed a few of the key concepts from the book in this lively interview:

  • Why "cult" is not a dirty word.

  • How every customer starts in the "Cult of Uncertainty."

  • Why you need a customer service vision.

  • Hyken's unique and practical definition of customer amazement.

  • Why leaders need to focus on the details to get amazing results.

You can watch the full interview or scroll down for some highlights.

Why "cult" is not a dirty word

Some people are scared off by the word, cult. Hyken shared an amusing story in our interview (go to minute 1:03) about a customer who so misunderstood the meaning that he refused to take Hyken’s call.

Hyken shared a little history to help explain that cult is not a dirty word.

It comes from the Latin word, cultus, which has several meanings including tilling, adoration, and care. Culture and cultivate both come from this same root word!

While some people associate "cult" with a fanatical religious movement, Hyken uses a broader definition that's much more positive.

Cult: Like-minded people with like-minded beliefs, that are heading in the same direction.

That's not necessarily a bad thing!

You might even belong to a cult and not think of it that way. If you have a group of friends you get together with each Sunday to watch the game, you have a cult! Or if you have a group of coworkers who are passionate about a particular project, then guess what? Cult.

How every customer starts in the "Cult of Uncertainty"

People are not sure what to expect from your company at first.

They might have gotten an impression from your advertising, product packaging, or from talking to an employee. But they won’t know for sure until they've experienced your products or services. 

Unfortunately, many companies keep their customers in a perpetual cult of uncertainty.

A customer might see an ad promising a great product, and then experience something entirely different. Or they might have wildly inconsistent experiences from one time to the next.

Great companies offer a consistent experience that customers can count on.

Why you need a customer service vision

Regular readers will notice I refer to the term "customer service vision" a lot. It's a shared definition of outstanding service that gets everyone on the same page.

When I wrote The Service Culture Handbook, I discovered that having a vision is the cornerstone of a customer-focused culture.

Hyken has a different term, but it means the same thing. He calls it a "customer service mantra." It's a simple statement, preferably one sentence, that clearly defines outstanding service or an outstanding experience.

He shares a great example about The Ritz-Carlton’s mantra at the 6:00 minute mark in the interview.

Creating a vision is the first step to moving customers past the Cult of Uncertainty. (Note: you can create your own with this step-by-step guide.)

There are five customer cults, or phases, that customers can go through. Here's a summary of the five phases that Hyken describes in his book:

  1. Uncertainty: you're not sure what will happen.

  2. Alignment: you understand the mantra, and you're interested.

  3. Experience: you have a good experience that matches the mantra.

  4. Ownership: you've had more good experiences and you like the company.

  5. Amazing: you've had so many good experiences you tell others.

What is an amazing customer experience?

Hyken has a great definition that he shares in the interview: "Amazement is above average, but it's above average all of the time." 

Many companies shoot for the over-the-top, wow experience, but there's a big problem. We just don't have an opportunity to wow a customer very often.

For instance, a client of mine recently told me about an employee saving a customer's dog from a burning building. Now that's a memorable experience! 

So how do you recreate that? 

Unless you work for the fire department, you can't realistically expect all of your customers to have dogs in burning buildings that need saving. And an individual customer is unlikely to have their dog stuck in a burning building a second time. These opportunities don’t happen often!

What you can do is provide a consistently above average experience. That means working hard to ensure there are no service failures. It also entails doing things just a little better than your competition.

Why amazing leaders need to focus on the details

Hyken tells a great story in the interview about a detail-oriented executive (go to minute 17:33).

The executive was touring the gas station where Hyken worked while he was in college. While on the tour, the executive noticed a sign with a slightly jagged edge. He made a note of it, so the sign could be fixed.

When Hyken asked why the executive was concerned with that detail, he explained that he was worried a customer might catch their coat on the sign while walking by. He didn't want to damage customers' clothing.

Hyken took that lesson to heart. By paying attention to those small details, the executive set the expectation that details mattered. It encouraged others to do the same.

Learn more from Shep Hyken

Hyken is one of my favorite customer service keynote speakers. He routinely publishes great content on his blog and his Amazing Business Radio podcast.

In addition to The Cult of the Customer, he's the author of several other books I highly recommend:

Interview with Shep Hyken about The Convenience Revolution

NYT bestselling author and customer service expert Shep Hyken has a new book coming out October 2, just in time for Customer Service Week.

It's called The Convenience Revolution.

The book focuses on the next wave of service—making it easier for customers to do business with you. It's chock-full of case studies from top companies, both big and small. The best part is it contains practical ideas that can allow businesses of any size to out-service the competition.

Shep shares six convenience principles and invites readers to decide which principles work best for their business:

  1. Reduce Friction

  2. Self-Service

  3. Technology

  4. Subscription

  5. Delivery

  6. Access

I recently had a chance to interview Shep and discuss his new book.

Shep's always an entertaining interview, and he shared lots of great examples and ideas. You can order the book now.

Book Review: Be Amazing or Go Home

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Shep Hyken's new book gets to the heart of what make someone exceptional at customer service.

The genesis of Be Amazing or Go Home was a conversation Hyken had with one of his own employees. This person had been an outstanding contributor for about a year until something changed. Suddenly, her commitment wavered and she began delivering sub-par results.

Hyken's company, Shepard Presentations, operates under the customer service vision, "Always Be Amazing!" He worked with his employee to help her fulfill the vision until it became apparent she had lost her desire. He finally gave her two choices, "You can be Amazing... or go home."

The story has a good ending. His employee decided to go home, and eventually found a new job that was a better fit. She and Hyken are still on good terms. And Hyken's employee was the one who suggested their conversation would make for a good book!

It did.

 

Amazement Defined

This is a concept that Hyken regularly discusses in his books. Here's his definition:

Amazement is a predictable and consistent above-average experience.

I appreciate that Hyken doesn't try to paint a picture of some over-the-top, unsustainable service experience. He correctly argues that doing things a little better than the competition over time will cement a reputation for amazing service.

So it's not a one-time grand gesture. Amazement is what you create when you work at delivering above-average service every single day.

 

The Seven Habits That Create Amazement

Hyken describes seven habits that create amazement.

The book is aimed squarely at individuals, though these are definitely habits customer service leaders can share with their teams. Even a freelance consultant (like me) can pick up some wonderful ideas.

I won't spoil them all (buy the book!). Instead, I'll point out one of my favorites: Amazing People Are Authentic.

This habit really resonated with me. Some of the characteristics of authenticity include being yourself, personalizing your interactions with others, and being as good as your word.

Hyken himself exemplifies all of the seven habits described in his book. These aren't ideas he made up just to write his latest bestseller! He truly lives them each day.

If that isn't authentic, I don't know what is!