Create an Experience

My wife, Patty, and I spent almost all of April on a vacation in Australia, Indonesia and Singapore.  Here’s a customer service lesson from that amazing trip.

Today in lots of businesses, it’s about, The Experience. People shop at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop for the experience.  American Girl Doll is about the in store experience.  When my wife and I we in London last year, regardless or the time of day, the line to get into the Lego store was at least 50 long.

Cruising on The Crystal Symphony is all about the experience.

Can you make what you do an experience?

Follow along with me. You’ll see exactly what I mean. Go to the internet, get Louis Armstrong’s, “What a Wonderful World” and start playing it now.

Picture this. You grew up in a lower income family. The address on my birth certificate is #9 Fink Trailer Court, Minot, ND. Vacations were great. I loved them. I got to see my cousins. But visiting far off lands was for rich people – certainly NOT ME. I certainly never pictured myself on a luxury cruise ship in Bali, Indonesia. You’ve just had a wonderful time ashore discovering a new exotic land. You’re dressing for a casual dinner. You realize you’re leaving port so you step out onto your balcony as the sun sets and you hear Louis Armstrong’s, “What a Wonderful World” playing over the ships speakers. As I’m writing this today, I tear up.

“I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world”

Now you hear a winsome single cry from the ships fog horn.

By the time we left our last port everyone was outside to hear Louis Armstrong and wipe away tears. No one on that cruise will ever hear that song again and not think of their Crystal Cruise.

Then later that night, after leaving our last port the ship’s captain gives delivers toast.

“Here’s to tall ships.
Here’s to small ships.
Here’s to all the ships on the sea.
But the best ships are friendships so
Here’s to you and ME!
Until we meet again.”

And yes, we made new friends. With only 850 passengers, verses up to 6,680 on the biggest ships it was easy to meet people. We plan to visit Willie and Elaine Montgomery in Ireland in two years.

Please don’t miss this, again, the big thing for Crystal Cruises is doing high end cruising well, but the hook… the way they get you back and have your raving to other is the emotional experience.

I’m guessing they’ll book 20 cruises from people I’ve told about Crystal.

How can you create an emotional experience
for your customers, clients, patients or members?

On Crystal, it starts with the size of the ship. The Crystal Symphony has 850 passengers. An average cruise ship today has around 3,500 passengers and the largest have more than 6,000. With the smaller ship you see many of the same staff often. They get to know you and you get to know them.

When Patty and I were not with my brother and his wife and Tirso saw us he asked, “Where are Ron and Mary?” When he saw us in around the ship he’s exclaim, “It’s martini time soon. Will I see you on Lido deck?” That’s doing a little thing right… and it becomes a big thing.

You also start seeing people who like to do the same things as you. The entertainment on the ship was fabulous and that’s where we met Willie and Elaine.
They had an early show and a late show every evening. Willie and Elaine, my brother and his wife, and Patty and I went to the late show and we always sat middle left. We were soon talking with Willie and Elaine all over the ship.

Follow this link and discover how to deliver
WOW, emotional customer service in your business.