Customer Experience: How one Charleston small business beats the competition

Earlier this month, I shared 3 marketing secrets of Manhattan business owners.  I have to say, the south gives NYC a run for its money.  I say this because I had an incredible, stand-out experience at a Charleston, S.C. small business this past weekend. Introducing Egan and Sons.  The owner, Chris Egan, and his team truly focus on the customer experience. Here is what this team did perfectly, and ideas you can apply to your offline and online channels.

Provide guests with a stellar greeting at the door.

The storefront was welcoming on its own, but one of the staff was standing outside of the business. She smiled as we approached and invited us to come inside.

Takeaway: If your staff has available time, put them at the door to invite in passersby. Use this same concept with your online channel greetings by inviting visitors to come in and take a look at your business.  This can be accomplished with an easy to navigate website and engaging content.

Deliver premium quality products.

We asked the bartender, Kristin, to recommend an appetizer and she highly recommended the Ratatouille Tower, a vegetarian dish created by the chef, Kyle.  Kristin’s promotion of the Ratatouille Tower was ‘truth in advertising’ because it was outstanding. The business owner and chef have taken great effort in planning the menu. They offer the best selection possible made with quality ingredients.

Takeaway: Find cost savings that don’t compromise the quality of your products. Train your team so they are knowledgeable about the products and the business, and to ensure they are able to make relevant recommendations for clients.

Deliver first class service.

I could write for pages about the service Chris and his team provided.  Chris personally spent time with us talking about Charleston. He knew we were trying to visit a few places that evening, so he suggested some of his favorites.  It gets better… he called the one we selected to make sure they could accommodate my husband’s wheelchair and made a reservation for us. When we were finished raving about the Ratatouille Tower, Chris brought the chef to our table who gave us the history of this incredible recipe.

Takeaway: Effective marketing focuses on building natural, genuine relationships with the target audience.  Take advantage of all of the opportunities to connect with your clients. Ask your team to help you identify opportunities, as they will have a different perspective than you do.

Focus on the Complete Customer Experience.

From entrance to exit, Chris and his team are focused on the complete customer experience.  Their wait staff supports each other, and the host team and support staff all work together to ensure a top notch customer experience.  The experience at Egan and Sons includes the trendy decor, the restaurant layout, the staff, and of course, the food.

An excellent customer experience pays.  Here is why:

• Seventy percent of consumers are willing to spend more money with a company that provides good customer service (up from 58 percent in 2010) (Echo Research, 2012).
• Fifteen percent of consumers said they would spend 20 percent more with companies with good service (up from 5 percent in 2010) (Echo Research, 2012.

Takeaway: There are an elite few businesses that spend this much effort on the customer experience.  Be one of them!

And for the piece de resistance…. Egan and Sons has only been open one week at this location.  This level of service is unheard of at an opening. But Chris’s years of business experience is clearly evident with the success of this opening.  Kudos to Chris and his team!