Too friendly, too fast

Traveling on the east coast this week, I’ve spent time using a number of car services, hotels, etc. in which the employees were very friendly (the rude New Yorker stereotype is not the norm, from my experiences, by the way).  The problem is that they got a little too friendly, too quickly. 

What do I mean?  On several occasions, the employees engaged me in conversations about very personal topics, or made inappropriate comments (to or about me and my traveling companions).

Many businesses strive to achieve “customer intimacy,” which means you know a lot about your customers and both sides feel engaged in a relationship.  The problem is that it takes time to earn the right to be intimate with your customers, and businesses need to make sure all customer-facing employees understand that.

Earning the intimacy

So how in the heck does a business earn your intimacy? There is no one answer, but some of the things that come to mind:

• Ask and listen: Ask your customer for feedback, ask about their expectations, and then listen to what they say.
• Pay attention : If your customer expresses a preference, try to honor it (better yet, remember that so they don’t have to express it again)
• Do a little extra at any opportunity: In Louisiana, we used the term “Lagniappe” to mean '”a little something extra.”  If you give your customers a little extra attention, they will notice.  Even little things like a bottle of water before they ask for it.
• Be respectful: Customers can tell when you are handling them with care, and taking them seriously.  Don’t just treat them like you want to be treated, do that plus a bit more.
• Anticipate their needs: Some hotels stand out because they give me what I like (such as coffee in the room, a great fitness center, room darkening shades, really comfortable beds, “emergency” supplies for when I forget a toothbrush, easy access to healthy late night snacks or light meals, and so forth.  When I see these things I think, “these folks understand me.”  When you’re dog tired on the road, that’s a nice feeling.  (Hey hotels:  I really love free WiFi…)

What kinds of things have you encountered that helped build customer intimacy?  Please share them here in comments (and any juicy stories of customer intimacy gone bad are welcome, of course!)

A few Podcasts for “On The Go” Folks

I’m beginning to travel a bit more again (the summer was a lot slower) and looking for good things to listen to en route.  Lately, that means podcasts.

If you’re on the hunt for some good podcasts, here are a few (all free) that stand out for me.

	The Wall Street Journal This Morning (non-iTunes link) This is an entertaining, well-produced daily rundown of news highlights from the Wall Street Journal.  There are hard-hitting news stories, gadget updates, and a lot of unusual stories covered, and the hosts of the show have great chemistry, which makes this a fun listen.  It’s about 40 minutes long, with very limited commercial interruption.
	Cranky Geeks (non-iTunes link) Hosted by John C. Dvorak with a collection of randomly selected others, this is a panel discussion of the week’s tech news.  It’s fun to listen to, particularly if you’re into gadgets or involved in the tech industry.  I’ve linked the audio-only version, but there are video versions available (I am usually driving when I listen so I forego the video).
	How Stuff Works (non-iTunes link) This is a series of in-depth, but conversational, discussions of lots of interesting topics.  These are great for the curious mind – you can find out useful things (like how to delay the onset of physical aging) and just entertaining things (like the best place to be during a zombie attack).
	The Bugle (non-iTunes link) This is a highly irreverent look at the news, featuring people like John Oliver (the British guy on The Daily Show).  It’s very much in the spirit of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on the Comedy Channel in the US, so if you like those shows, you’ll probably like The Bugle.

I’m about to board a plane, so that’s all I can write up for now.  If you find this useful, let me know and I will share other podcast finds with you in the future. Happy listening!