At Cole’s Salon, our greatest joy is making people feel happy and beautiful. And as a member of our First Impressions Team (FIT), we know achieving that goal begins when our guests walk in the door. That’s why our leadership team prioritizes the guest experience and provides us with so many amazing customer service training opportunities.
Last month, a few of us from Cole’s Salon had the amazing opportunity to attend John DiJulius’ Customer Service Revolution conference in Cleveland, Ohio. We left feeling inspired and highly motivated to reinvent our guest service experience after learning from some of the best leaders out there.
We heard from 18 phenomenal speakers who all contributed to a consistent message focused on “the relationship economy,” and how crucial it is not to lose sight of emotional connections with our guests and employees while we are living in the “digital disruption era.”
We not only learned about some revolutionary best practices, but we also got to experience world class guest service first hand from the DiJulius Group and their concierges who went above and beyond to make sure our experience was nothing short of spectacular. They really showed us what exceptional service can look like and we have had so much fun implementing some of these practices into our guest’s experience when they visit Cole’s Salon!
Here are some of our key takeaways from the conference:
- Technology is changing the world, and not always for the better. For all the benefits it is bringing to businesses, it is coming at a cost. The cost is weaker human relationships that are vital to customer experiences, employee experiences, and happiness.
- In the digital era, we have dramatically evolved away from face-to-face communication, and the skill of building rapport is evaporating. This means that guest personalization and relationships are more important now than ever—and they will be the key to success for businesses moving forward.
- Service to others creates a powerful and deeply connected team and community. After all, the ultimate experience is the human experience.
- We create big impacts through small acts. It matters most to give meaning to others.
- Your energy introduces yourself before you introduce yourself.
- It’s more important to be interested than interesting.
Let us know what you look for in a guest experience? What would you like to see at Cole’s Salon? We’re always striving to improve the guest experience, and would love to hear from you!
Melanie Johnson is a FIT Manager at Cole’s Salon Apple Valley.
