Hello! And Every Little Thing that Matters aims to transform the businesses interact with customers by focusing on the lost art of making them feel cared for. The concepts in this book do not cost a lot of money but have the potential to change the fundamental dynamic between a business and its customers. For example, the concept of 'I notice=I care' might involve as simple a gesture as opening the door for a guest. In fact, when an employee notices what is happening to a customer (e.g., entering the showroom) and acts on what he sees (opens the door), the customer can't help but feel considered. When the chairs in the waiting room are comfortable and stable, the bathrooms are kept clean, and your representatives stop their tasks to say 'hello' and 'thank you,' the message you send to customers is 'I care.' In life we're often told 'Don't sweat the small stuff', but the small stuff is exactly what customers remember.
In the age of Yelp, Twitter, and Facebook where word-of-mouth reviews can go viral and every business is in danger of accruing bad customer feedback, the most criticized category falls under the umbrella of 'service'. But what is service but a catchall for all the pieces working together? From the design, decor, lighting, and upkeep of your physical space to the language, tone of voice, and body language of your representatives, they must all add up because when just one critical piece of the experience fails, customers start to question the entire business proposition. So when you go to a medical imaging facility for service and find it dirty 'like the bathrooms at CBGBs,' as did one reviewer on Yelp, you can't help but wonder about the thoroughness and precision of its medical services. It is not enough to deliver excellence in your primary product or service. All the pieces must work together.
