What’s the best customer service you’ve experienced? What made it a standout? Now, flip that and think about the worst scenario. Why was it so bad?
If you run a winery, you’re not just producing beautiful wine. You’ll have customers coming to you to enjoy the full experience – tasting wines and food as well as seeing where the grapes are grown. Today, the winery business is more dynamic than ever before, especially in prominent regions like South Australia.
It takes smart strategy, unique branding and creativity to make your ‘drop’ stand apart from the rest. So, how can you do this? As we’ve been realising across the tourism industry, involved experiences are the future.
For example, you could offer smart, complimentary tours and services that encourages people to stay longer, and spend more. Be diverse in the type of tours, shows, and food offerings to provide choice and multiple income streams. Use content to make recommendations and suggestions, so it educates and makes it easy. Use local ingredients linking history and cultural elements back into the present day.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback to build on these experiences. Ask questions such as:
- Why have you chosen our business or region? What is of interest to you?
- Describe what the perfect offering/experience looks like?
- What experience don’t you want to miss out on – must do’s?
- Is there anything in particular that you do not have an interest in?
It’s all about the personal connection. How do you want people to feel as a result of the end-to-end interactions with you? This is referred to as the UEP (unique emotional proposition).
Be specific to your market, focused on being interesting while still authentic, and providing real value for money (this doesn’t mean being cheap). Allow for greater personalisation of experience by allowing staff and guest to co-create what is delivered.
Think about how you can make every interaction unique. Tell your story, both verbally and physically. Entertain, educate and challenge, all at the same time.
BETTER BUY IN THROUGH HANDS ON INTERACTION AND THE SHARING OF OPINION
The Adelaide Botanical Gardens Restaurant give their customers a compelling experience that keeps them coming back.
Key takeaways from a recent dining experience:
- The Sommelier provides exceptionally good product knowledge, backed by passion but told in a way that was accessible and interesting.
- Offers unexplored wines that were not easily found or were undiscovered and allows you to try a range of brand new, seasonal offerings (not just one) at the table and left the bottles with you to read more.
- Checked in and asked your opinion – was gaining valuable research organically in real time.
Think about your own approach in the early stages of contact. What ways are you currently personalising your approach to interacting with guests in creating meaningful experiences? How could you improve this so it encourages more visits with more purchases?
The majority of businesses spend all the time focusing on the face to face delivery and not enough commitment of resources to the before stages of the customer interaction and certainly not afterwards in the post service delivery.
Use your imagination. Experiment… and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Ask your customers what they like and don’t like by asking insightful and brave questions that delve deeper into your clients opinions and perceptions. Engage with them and show them that you care about more than just dollars.