I am a big fan of hip hop and rap music. Huge, actually. My love started with an early obsession with old-school R&B. Yes, you may find me singing along, dancing in my seat, to the latest Bruno or Pitbull hit on my next flight.
One well-known hip-hop lyric came up in a day calendar I have from Matthew Hoffman of You Are Beautiful fame. (Check out his amazing calendar.)
The lyric is: “Stop, collaborate and listen.”
OK, so Vanilla Ice is not the most revered of hip hop geniuses – but hey, the message is a good one.
I started thinking about what other messages in music can apply to my world of customer experience. There are more than I can list (and some, frankly, would be censored by most broadcast TV and my HR friends). But a few stand out:
- “So here I go, it’s my shot. Feet fail me not. This may be the only opportunity that I got.” Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
- “There’s nothing you can’t do.” – Jay Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
- “So just dance, dance, dance.” – Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”
Let Music Inspire Your Customer Experience
Yes, I believe music lyrics are great sources of customer experience advice! Consider this:
- Remind your team to collaborate and listen – really listen – to both the words your customers say and their body language. The customer will tell you what they need and when and how they want it – you just have to listen. Also remind yourself to collaborate and listen to your team. When engaged in conversations, many people are thinking about what they’re going to say next instead of listening to what the other person is saying.
- You’ve got one shot to wow the customer, just as Eminem had one shot. Be sure everyone on the team knows it. Don’t let a bad day, a past bad customer interaction, or being short staffed ruin the one shot you have to make an amazing impression on the customer in front of you.
- Tell your team there is nothing they can’t do to make it right for the customer. OK, perhaps you need a few guardrails, but empower your team to make it right in a way that feels great to the customer. It will pay you back in the long run.
- Being successful in the world of customer experience often requires dancing, figuratively and sometimes literally! Dance your way through the tough times and also through the fun times. Invite your customers to join you in the dancing.
Do you have a lyric that reminds you of a best practice in the world of customer experience? Let me know and let’s sing it together!
