4 Lessons About Handling Stressed Customers That I Learned From Being a Mover

Regardless of our customers' background, we already know that they're stressed. But what particular circumstances are they facing?

We learn a lot from the first phone call, so we train our first responders as seriously as if they were EMTs. Every client has a story, and we listen so we can prepare and customize a personal experience.

By performing market research on our clients, we've discovered that a lot of little things -- such as utilities and cable connections or unfamiliarity with the new neighborhood -- contribute to the stress people feel when they move. That's why we created a VIP Move Concierge service to help our customers get set up with utilities, change their address with the post office and find out more about the schools and coffee shops in the vicinity.

You can do the same: Use empathy to step into your customers’ shoes to determine how to reduce their fears or worries. What could you do to make things easier?

How often have you walked into a store and been greeted by employees full of energy and passion for their work? These traits can’t be taught or trained.

Empathy is an essential part of customer service, so we ask candidates to tell us about a time they went above and beyond for a stranger. Hire people who are absolutely committed to your brand promise. Ask them to read aloud from your client interaction script to see whether their tone and body language align with the customer experience you strive to provide.

Don’t interview -- hold auditions by interviewing in groups of three to 10 so the best candidates stand out. We hire as many people who do, and sometimes hire nobody at all, to make sure our employees are motivated to make our clients happy.

Related: Use Your Customer Support Staff to Improve Every Aspect of Your Business

Most companies interact with customers at eight crucial points, from the first phone call or mouse click, to the knock at the door, to wrap-up and payment options.

We studied our interactions by walking through every step of our customers’ journey. At each interaction, we asked how we could make the experience hassle-free. Did they prefer to use a credit card or check? Did they prefer to split a big move over two days?

We’ve found no better barometer of client interaction than front-line team members; they know the score. Watch them in action, ask questions and learn about your business from their point of view. Then, use what you learn to fine-tune customer delivery. This has compelled us to create our concierge service to help clients handle everything from setting up utilities to registering for school.

Marketers talk about client-acquisition cost, but consider the alternative: What if you invested in client experience? Survey your clients in real time, and act on their feedback. If you don’t have satisfied customers, a new mailing list won’t solve your problems.

Most businesses budget for advertising, but not for experience. Build this into your financial model; customer experience should be a line item on the P&L. On top of spending money on experience, spending time is just as important.

Constantly raise the bar -- client experience can never just be set and forgotten. Don’t let your competitors catch up to your experience; form a committee that owns client experience to constantly look for ways to one-up the rest.

At our moving company, we surveyed more than 5,000 clients nationwide about their past experiences with professional movers, asking what actions would have improved those situations. Based on that feedback, we tweaked our process to make sure our clients’ experience was our No. 1 priority.

Related: 3 Elements of a Better Customer Experience

Growing a loyal and enthusiastic customer base isn’t as complicated as you might think. You can build a viral brand by going above and beyond for your clients and making just such a focus on customer experience part of your business model. In turn, you’ll gain "brand evangelists" who will spread the good news of how your company saved the day for them. Others will hear their message.