Experiential Marketing Example - Step Around the Corner

John Vachalek - 11.14.2011 2:00 PM

Experiential marketing agencies and a lot of other people may think that experiential marketing has to be difficult and cumbersome in order to be effective. The fact of the matter is that effective experiential marketing can be achieved through the combination of many very simple, intentional processes and procedures, which when combined, create an amazing overall customer experience.

This month’s post is titled, “Step Around the Counter”. As you are reading this, consider the literal message, as well as metaphorical applications that this may have for your business.

Accurate Auto Body in Aurora has been helping customers repair their dinged and damaged automobiles for over two decades. They do an amazing job and continue to strive to improve their overall customer experience. Over the past 2+ years, they have developed their own unique Focus on You Service System™ . This system allows them to repair client’s cars faster and better than ever before.

However, as I was talking with Tammi and Jim about their overall process, one very simple thing stood out in my mind. After every repair at their shop, when the customer picks up their car, the technician who collects the payment and completes the transaction paperwork walks out from around the service counter, shakes the hand of the customer, thanks them for their business, and sees them out to their car. This small gesture speaks volumes about the level of care and personal attention this business dedicates to their clients.

After hearing about this, I have been paying close attention to how many other retailer and companies I visit care enough to take this simple, extra step. The answer is very few.

I did have the opportunity to enjoy this experience at the AT&T store at Park Meadows. I have been switching phones, moving numbers, etc... So, over the past two weeks, I have been in this store twice to conduct some sort of transaction. During both visits, the people I worked with (Noe & Rafael) were very personal, professional and helpful. Plus, once our business (one of these had no financial expenditure) concluded, each of these guys walked around the counter, looked me in the eye, smiled, shook my hand, thanked me for coming in and waited toward the front door to open it, thank me again and saw me out. I wonder if this is part of AT&T’s rep training, something that they do just at this store, or if I happened to get some exceptional people when I visited?

How to use this Information

Whether you are a retail store or a service business with a reception area, every business has things (a physical counter or established transactional processes) that separates us from our clients and creates an over overall less engaging experience. Identify what some of these things might be in your business. Think about how you might change these to create a better, more personal, more engaging experience. Then, make this a process that happens each and every time.

Please share your thoughts and comments below. How do you “step around the counter” in your business? What neat ideas do you have for this?

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