Ever wonder if you’re truly meeting your clients’ expectations? It’s not that account managers think we’re dropping the ball—it’s the uncertainty that keeps us up at night. One client responds to emails in seconds; another hasn’t replied in months, trusting us to deliver. That unknown can be maddening. Here’s the fix: focus on client delight—creating experiences so positive your clients can’t stop raving about you. I’ve spent years refining this over my career and now, at Smithworks I’m sharing what works. Let’s dive into the three pillars of delight: customer culture, customer service, and customer success.
What Is Client Delight?
HubSpot nails it: client delight is going so far beyond expectations that clients become your biggest cheerleaders. But “positive experience” isn’t one-size-fits-all. To delight clients, you need to know them—deeply.
At Smithworks, we use HubSpot’s CRM to track everything from a client’s marketing goals to their favorite after-work treat. From the moment they’re a lead, we’re logging details—report preferences, meeting styles, likes, dislikes. This isn’t just data; it’s the foundation for tailored experiences. One client loves detailed monthly reports; another wants a quick chat and a coffee. Both feel seen. That’s the goal.
Key Elements to Evaluate
To build delight, zero in on three areas:
- Customer Culture: Make clients feel valued beyond the invoice.
- Customer Service: Deliver support that’s responsive and personal.
- Customer Success: Align your work with their unique goals.
Building a Customer Culture
You’ve heard about company culture for employees, but customer culture is just as critical. Happy clients share their experiences with about 11 people, per studies—and they’re more likely to renew or buy more. So, how do you create a culture that breeds delight?
Put Clients First
Think about your services. How can you prioritize clients in your goals? Maybe it’s making end-of-month reports less dull—add visuals or a quick win summary. Ensure clients feel heard by acting on their feedback. One client told us our reports felt “too corporate.” We simplified them, and they renewed for two years.
Celebrate Their Wins
See a client’s LinkedIn post about a milestone? Share it. Notice a work anniversary? Send a quick note or a $5 Starbucks card. I once congratulated a client on their company’s 10th anniversary with a handwritten card. They posted it on social media, tagging us. Small gestures build emotional connections.
Create Experiences, Not Events
Clients love shareable moments. Take HubSpot’s INBOUND conference. They designed it for users, with photo ops and free swag for posting with #Inbound19. It trended #2 on Twitter (sorry, Beyoncé). Try this: create a branded hashtag, print it on cardstock, and attach it to a gift card. When clients post, you delight them and reach their followers.
Elevating Customer Service
Customer service is where delight can shine—or crash. We’ve all dreaded calling an internet provider. Good service meets expectations; great service exceeds them.
Meet Clients Where They Are
Don’t force clients into your preferred support channels. HubSpot research shows 62% want email, 48% prefer phone, 42% like live chat, and 36% use contact forms. Offer options. We let clients choose—email, Slack, or a quick call. One client loves texting updates; it’s their comfort zone, so we adapted.
Set clear response times, too. In a Google-Siri-Alexa world, clients expect speed. Tell them, “You’ll hear back within 24 hours.” Then beat that deadline. We once resolved a client’s website issue in two hours after promising a day. They sent a thank-you email.
Listen on Social Media
Clients voice opinions on Google My Business, Yelp, or Twitter. Monitor these platforms. A client once tweeted about a glitch on their website. We fixed it and replied publicly within an hour. They retweeted our response, and their followers noticed. Proactive service shows you’re paying attention.
Review your service processes yearly. Ask your team: Where are the gaps? One year, we found clients wanted faster chat responses. We added a chatbot, and satisfaction scores jumped 15%.
Driving Customer Success
If clients aren’t hitting their goals, delight is impossible. Success varies by client—one wants better keyword rankings, another needs a website overhaul. Misalignment kills progress.
Align on Goals
Ask clients:
- What problem are you solving with us?
- What’s failed before, and why?
- What does success look like?
For example, a client hired us to boost organic traffic. We learned they’d tried SEO but lacked content. We built a blog strategy, and their traffic grew 30% in six months. Clear expectations made it happen.
Educate Along the Way
Guide clients through your process. Share quick tips or progress updates. We send clients a monthly “What We Did” email, explaining how our work ties to their goals. One client said it helped them justify our retainer to their boss.
Next Steps for Client Delight
Start small: set a quarterly “delight budget.” Don’t decide alone—ask your team for ideas. Have them share memorable experiences as customers. One team member recalled a company sending a free product after a delay. We tried it, gifting a client a free report after a missed deadline. They referred two new clients.
Survey your team and clients to spot gaps. Build a data-driven strategy. Delight isn’t instant, but consistent effort pays off. Focus on knowing your clients, and the rest follows.
