Customer service is just one part of the entire customer journey, while customer experience encompasses all the interactions between your brand and a customer. Customer experience is the total experience a customer has with your business – and it includes every interaction, no matter how brief and even if it doesn’t result in a purchase.

It includes your marketing that they see before they become a customer, the sales experience, the customer service while purchasing, the quality of the product/service itself, and the customer service they get after the purchase.

And never forget that just because a customer didn’t purchase your product/service today doesn’t mean they won’t be back tomorrow. Don’t change a customer’s experience if you realise they won’t be making a purchase then and there. This could result in them not coming and them speaking badly of your business.

When you give your customers the best customer experience in town, you will have happy customers. Happy customers will speak highly of you and want to return, because you made them feel good. Happy customers will recommend your business to others. Having the reputation for consistently great customer experience will make you stand out from your competitors.

Here are 10 ways to help you provide the best customer experiences. Think about the fantastic customer experiences you have had and how they can help you make the following ideas even better.

• Treat every customer like royalty
• Identify customer pain points and rectify them immediately
• Focus on the individual, not the customer - every customer is unique person with their own needs and expectations
• Be polite, friendly, and attentive
• Hire people with a service mindset
• Deal with problems or complaints immediately
• Be consistent
• Be transparent
• Prove that you really, really appreciate your customers
• Never stop improving