Maya Angelou said it best: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
This quote truly captures the importance of making guests feel valued. There’s no shortage of research discussing how essential positive customer experience is right now, and at the heart of these experiences is superior customer service. Knowledgeable, friendly staff is one of the most important aspects of your business.
Guests want to feel valued through human interaction and the investment of time and care, more than through gimmicks or giveaways. In fact, human connection is valued more than ever, meaning focusing on customer service is essential.
Quick Links
- Why Guest Experience Matters for Event Management
- Five Common Customer Service Mistakes
- Six Easy Customer Service and Event Management Wins
- How an Event Planning Agency Can Help Create Amazing Guest Experience
Why Guest Experience Matters for Event Management
At any event, your attendees are your customers, and their experience is everything. Just as in any business, exceptional customer service is crucial to making them feel valued and cared for. From the moment they arrive to the time they leave, how you engage and address their needs will shape their perception of the entire event. That’s why providing top-notch customer service isn’t just important – it’s essential to creating a successful event.
If guest experience is handled thoughtfully, their interactions with you will be memorable and in certain circumstances, may result in repeat business. That’s one of the reasons why customer service is so important. In fact, 81% of organizations consider customer experience to be a competitive differentiator.
But on the flip side, it’s important to remember that poor experiences can have detrimental effects. While 72% of customers are likely to share positive experiences with 6 other people, 13% of customers who have had negative experiences will tell 15 people about their bad experience.
So in order to reap the benefits of strong customer experiences at events, investing time and careful consideration into your customer service plan is essential. For event hosts, this means creating memorable guest experiences that can translate into increased customer and employee loyalty, enhanced employee productivity, and increased revenue. Whether it’s an event rewarding loyalty or employee achievements, your guests and their experiences reflect on you, your brand, and your business. Having attendees feel seen and valued creates deeper connections with numerous benefits.
An excellent example of a company that invests in customer service is Zappos. The company’s core culture is rooted in excellent customer service, and in return, this exemplary service is an excellent marketing tool and strategy to boost business. Zappos is so dedicated to ensuring their employees are committed to their brand and customers that they have paid new hires to quit during training sessions. They took this step to ensure their new employees were there for more than money. Customers love the experience, and the high-touch service keeps them coming back for more.
In order to keep your attendees coming back for more, planners must ensure that excellent service and hospitality are a key part of all program aspects. This way, people will remember and broadcast their positive experiences. Additionally, you should keep this in mind when determining your venues and vendors, as guests will also associate experiences had in those areas with yours. Using an event planner that has established relationships with vendors and venues is a must for this very reason.
Five Common Customer Service Mistakes
So where do companies go wrong? For example, take the hospitality industry. A hotel chain can invest in training employees on the tactical components (how to work the hotel check-in system, how to mix a proper drink, etc.), but if they don’t invest in training employees on customer experience, it won’t result in a positive, memorable guest experience.
That said, there are a few customer service mistakes that seem to be more common than others. Below are a few that should be addressed because of their potential to affect guests negatively.
1. Saying, “That’s not my department”
Few things are more frustrating for attendees than being passed around from one event team member to another when they have a question or issue. Even a single handoff can heighten their frustration, especially if they’ve already waited for assistance. At events, every interaction matters, and a seamless response can make all the difference in their experience.
2. Being unresponsive or giving a significantly delayed response
Customers expect a quick response. When an event attendee emails or calls with a question, the turnaround time to respond is key to determining whether they leave with a positive impression or not. When it comes to questions and complaints, swift communication can quickly turn a bad situation into a positive interaction.
3. Engaging in an argument with a customer
Just don’t. This is a no-win situation, and trying to prove your point will cause a negative experience for that attendee, as well as impacting any potential witnesses to the exchange. Again, this is often an opportunity for your team to impress (and why customer service training is so vital). Sometimes a question as simple as “What can I do to help correct this situation?” can change a customer’s attitude. Just demonstrating that you want to help in some way has power.
4. Sending generic or “canned” responses
This is probably the best way to make someone feel insignificant. A personalized email or phone call from a member of your team has significant power. Additionally, face-to-face interactions are perfect opportunities to provide outstanding service. From check-in to casual interactions, using a person’s name is an instant way to create connections and personalize interactions.
The good news is that event management software and other event technology make personalization easy. Whether that’s a welcome screen in an event app that says the attendee’s name or an email that refers back to a session the attendee participated in, planners can make events personal seemingly without lifting a finger.
5. Failing to define your company’s culture
Remember that Zappo’s example? Company culture starts at the top. Defining culture means sharing beliefs, standards, and behaviors that represent the company’s best self. In the context of events, a well-defined company culture ensures that every team member is aligned in their approach to delivering exceptional service, creating a unified and seamless experience for attendees from start to finish.
When you adhere to these standards from the top down, staff will work toward a cohesive goal resulting in consistent results, especially when it comes to delivering exceptional customer service.
Six Easy Customer Service and Event Management Wins
Now that we’ve covered a few mistakes to avoid, we’d like to look at ways you can impress your attendees with service that creates joy and positive reviews. It’s easy to overlook the small details, but that’s really where the difference lies.
1. Accept both good and bad feedback, and then act on both
If you’re in customer service, you’re likely already aware of how readily customers will provide feedback. This means that when attendees offer their perspectives, it’s an easy win to simply listen (and truly listen). Repeat the information to them, so they know they’ve been heard, and then ensure the feedback is delivered to the team member who needs to hear it.
Further, you need to ask for information through surveys, reviews, and personalized emails. Inquiring about a guest’s experience is an excellent way to get feedback and create a touchpoint. Imagine how delighted a repeat event attendee will feel to see that their suggestions were considered and that you’ve adjusted based on their feedback at the following event.
2. Make event support fast, easy, and accessible
Event attendees expect support to be immediate and hassle-free. There’s nothing more discouraging than navigating a complicated help process during an event, especially when one needs assistance quickly. To meet attendee needs, consider offering omnichannel support options like on-site help desks, chat within your event app, or direct phone lines. Make sure these channels are well-staffed to handle inquiries promptly. While investing in support staff may seem costly, providing high-quality customer service at events can lead to satisfied attendees, positive feedback, and higher chances of repeat business, making it well worth the investment.
3. Support your staff with event technology
Along the same lines as those omnichannel options, there are several ways to include event tech to make managing the program a bit easier for your team while delivering great experiences for attendees. More than two-thirds of customers prefer self-service support, and event tech features allow attendees to do just that.
For instance, smart badges enable quick and contactless check-ins, reducing wait times and simplifying access to event areas while staff members are on standby to answer any questions. Additionally, event apps provide real-time information, personalized agendas, and interactive maps, allowing attendees to navigate events easily and access assistance as needed.
4. Empower your staff to problem-solve
Picture this: an attendee encounters an issue during your event, but instead of making them wait for a program manager to resolve it, your frontline staff have the authority to offer immediate solutions, such as complimentary refreshments, upgrades, or quick fixes. Empowering your team in this way not only boosts their confidence, enabling them to deliver superior service, but it also enhances the attendee experience by providing prompt resolutions. When staff can act swiftly to address concerns, it leaves a lasting impression and demonstrates a commitment to exceptional customer care.
5. Anticipate the needs of your attendees
Ideally, an attendee’s entire event experience should be smooth sailing. Anticipating the needs of attendees can enhance the overall event experience by preventing issues before they arise, ensuring seamless interactions while promoting high satisfaction.
By addressing needs proactively, staff can resolve potential concerns swiftly, reducing stress for both attendees and event organizers. This level of attentiveness reflects effective event management, where smooth operations and attendee comfort are prioritized, creating positive experiences that contribute to the event's success.
6. Review your feedback and be proactive
First, be sure the person reviewing feedback is in a position to both understand and offer potential solutions. Sometimes, feedback is reviewed by team members who are not involved in the day-to-day and may not see a potential solution or understand how significantly a problem impacts service. That said, if the same feedback keeps showing up, it’s time to act. Particularly when it comes to service, repeated feedback on the same concern means you have a problem, and addressing the most frequently discussed issues can quickly resolve them.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of how to improve service quality, but avoiding the pitfalls and proactively introducing other initiatives can make a world of difference.
How an Event Planning Agency Can Help Create Amazing Guest Experiences
When it comes to creating positive event experiences, customer service is key. That means from the time attendees begin registering, your goal should be to deliver an exceptional user experience. Every step of the way, you should find strategies to exceed your customer's expectations. So how does an event planning company help?
Event planning agencies understand that exceptional customer service is integral to crafting amazing guest experiences. They invest in comprehensive training programs for their staff, focusing on the nuances of attendee engagement, effective communication, and problem-solving. By instilling a customer-first mindset, agencies ensure every team member is equipped to handle inquiries and resolve issues on the spot, enhancing the overall event experience. This commitment to the attendee experience reflects the agency's dedication to upholding high standards of service, ultimately translating into memorable experiences for attendees.
For example, if you are searching for venues and vendors, you want to ensure your guests receive the very best, and in part, that means vetting the companies that will represent you. This is where an event planning company can help. Because companies like Bishop-McCann have considerable experience in this space, it means we have a vast network of preferred vendors and venues. It also means we know the service they provide, and only work with those who provide exceptional customer experience.
If you’re ready to find out how we create corporate events that reflect the customer service culture you’ve created for your business, get in touch with our team today!
