So you don’t have to … These five words are powerful, and whether or not customers realize it, they love them.

Think about what makes certain companies stand out from their competitors. Is it their product? Is it price? These matter, but as I’ve been preaching for decades, the differentiator is the customer experience. And specifically, the experience I want to focus on in this article is convenience.

These five words, “So you don’t have to,” form a statement that embodies the essence of creating a convenient customer experience. When companies take on certain responsibilities, eliminate friction points and other tasks to make the buying process easier for a customer, they are sending a message to their customers that says, “We’ll handle this so you don’t have to.”

• Amazon delivers packages to your doorstep … so you don’t have to drive to the store.
• Online grocery delivery services shop for your food and deliver it … so you don’t have to spend time in the store, pushing the cart, waiting in line to check out, and like Amazon, you don’t even have to drive to the store.
• Auto-renewal subscriptions charge you automatically … so you don’t have to remember to re-subscribe.

I can go on with numerous examples. The So You Don’t Have To experience is about making it easy for your customers and saving them time, energy and effort. My annual customer service and experience research consistently shows that convenience is a major driver of customer loyalty. In fact, 66% of customers say convenience is more important than friendly service, and 58% of customers are willing to pay more for it.

So, how can you deliver the So You Don’t Have To experience to your customers? Here are four ideas to get you started:

1. Identify Your Customers’ Friction Points – Identify any areas of stress or effort in your process that can be changed or eliminated to make it easier for your customers.

1. Practice Proactive Service – Train your team to solve customers’ problems proactively before they contact you – ideally before they even know there is a problem. Examine the reasons for these problems and find ways to eliminate them altogether.

1. Become Your Customer – Look at your processes as if you are the customer. Mystery shop your own business and experience what your customers experience.

1. Don’t Be Shy – If you’re going to make it easy for your customers, let them know. Explain why doing business with you is different.

Every time you remove a step, eliminate a form, reduce waiting time or simplify a process, you’re telling the customer you value their time. Whether the words are explicitly stated or implied through your actions, you’re saying, “We’ll handle this … so you don’t have to.”

Shep Hyken
Shepard Presentations, LLC.

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CRM & Loyalty