Millefiori Customer Experience is Awesome Marketing

The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well. It is awesome marketing.

• J. D. Rockefeller

A secret? No, not really. Small things? Yes, certainly. Sometimes small actions or inactions by a business can have a big impact on awesome marketing. And it is usually due to a lack of an explicit strategy. Certainly not the case with Millefiore’s customer experience.

Millefiori certainly appreciates how customer experience design has grown in the importance of brand marketing and consumer influence. They have made astonishing the customer the centerpiece of their marketing strategy. Certainly, a real discriminator, isn’t it?

Today we will examine 10 different ways Millefiore employs customer experience to stand out above the noise and become a significant contributor to their brand marketing.

The end-state quality of the product or service the customer receives is what counts. However, this includes the experience the customer remembered while he purchased the product or service. Often that is what is remembered the most.

Let’s examine 10 smashing examples to discuss:

Deliver happiness

Feelings and emotions certainly have a significant role in the way customers are influenced in the marketing process. Millefiore staff goes out of their way both in the store and online to be happy. They want their customers to also experience this feeling. So you will see lots of smiles, happy faces, and positive attitudes.

Product/service presentation

Have you ever been to the Millefiore store or their website? If you have, you will remember the emphasis on the visual presentation of their quality. Draws your eyes to many finer elements of design and products, even if you are not looking for them. Helping customers visualize the products and more importantly the end results of the services offered.

Best technology

Customers really don’t care about the technology per se, do they? But they care that the results of the technology result in the best impact on the services received, including performance, fewer treatments required, safety, and of course lower cost.

For example. Laser tattoo removal has been in practice for the past 20 years. Until recently there have not been any major advances in the field. This past year a newer technology was FDA-approved and now there are two players in the game; the older technology of the Q-switch YAG and the new kid on the block the PicoSure. So what’s the difference between the customer and the experience they are looking for?

PicoSure uses photomechanical/pressure waves which do not use heat and eliminate the risk of damaging the skin and scarring.

PicoSure breaks down the ink into smaller particles which get absorbed faster meaning fewer procedures to eliminate tattoos. (PicoSure can fully clear a tattoo in as little as 4-6 treatments, while the Q-switch can take up to over 20 treatments).

Easy to do business with

The definition of easy varies by customer base including generations, occupational focus, etc. Everything may seem easy to one generation and maddening to another. Nonetheless, easy will always be at the top of the list for customer experience. Millefiore puts a priority on avoiding passing on tasks to the customer, either online on at the store, doing everything they can to simplify actions required for the execution of their services.

Attention to detail

Giving customers the ability to create uniqueness in the products or services they want to purchase is a great way to discriminate against the brand. This technique is probably the most difficult for most businesses to employ. The standout here is bundling services together over time to optimize the end result for customers.

Flexibility 

When company procedures can flex and bend to the customers’ needs, customers experience the ultimate in care. Why? Because it fits them, their lives, and their businesses. It’s obstacle free. Whether it is the combination of services offered and their sequence of applications or the option of payments, Millefiore strives to pass on maximum flexibility.

Provide utmost care

 Customers are glad when you don’t have problems in delivering service. They are elated when your knowledge, experience, and foresight, prevent disasters in their business or life.

Memorable in uncommon ways

 In everyday life, customers like to rely on themselves. When they must reach out, they wonder what will happen. When the happening is beyond their expectations, the experience shines.

Quick story: My wife goes for a yearly mammogram. She asks for the same technician each time because her interpersonal skills and sense of humor turn a stressful dreaded ritual into a memorable experience. She makes a difference. My wife could go to a center closer to my house yet I might end up with Betty the compression robot. I’ll pass on that thanks. (My wife will see you next year Maxine!) Many of Millefiore’s customers feel the same way about their staff.

Your customer insights are essential to this effort. We’re not talking just satisfaction surveys—good customer understanding doesn’t come just from spreadsheets and data crunching. Instead, we’re talking about customer sentiments and needs through detailed customer observation, listening, and relationship building.

Social skills that identify and share unspoken or latent needs. A process of gaining good insights and then acting on them. Experimenting at first and then fully ahead. Having a governance mechanism to act on insights is critical…otherwise, there will be no positive change.

Solving customer problems

Being very good at solving customer problems is a great way to create a good experience. And an honest opinion you can always trust.

Key takeaways

Here’s the thing, social isn’t just a new way of marketing, it’s really a new way of running a business. Many businesses certainly have figured this out and are using social marketing and improved customer experience to rapidly grow their business. Count Millefiore in that camp.

Give Millefiore a try and spot the customer experiences differences.

So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is there is no conclusion. There is only the next step. And that next step is completely up to you. But believe in the effectiveness of customer experience as a key way to discriminate. And put it to good use like Millefiore.

It’s up to you to keep improving your creative, social marketing, and customer experience efforts. Lessons are all around you.

Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

Are you devoting enough energy to improving your customer experience?

Do you have a lesson about making your customer experience better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?

Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  

Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way.