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It’s a paradox.  Our connection with various service providers, where we buy products and services, is becoming increasingly impersonal (nicely put: digital), and we talk more and more about the importance of so-called customer experience. Meanwhile, we talk less and less to live people as chatbots and AI trick us into believing that there’s a real person behind online services or helplines. But after your second question you realize you were wrong.

Old-fashioned Customer Cxperience

In the analog age, one of the methods used to deter customers was the so-called “endless Für Elise,” which you could listen to for hours over the phone in the hope that someone would eventually pick up and provide meaningful answers to your questions. Of course, even in the 21st century, this form of customer torture hasn’t completely disappeared, only the number of options (“Press 9 to listen to our current offering”) has changed, and the music has been replaced. You can still find these methods primarily at service providers specializing in serving the masses. After all, there’s nowhere else to buy water, gas, or electricity, so they don’t care much about so-called customer experience. And they have the audacity to ask the tormented customer to rate their service before ending the call. I’ve always wondered what they do with this feedback, because improvement is certainly not the goal.

Where do we get a real customer experience, and what is the secret that makes it work?

After careful planning (and at the insistence of my wife), we managed to organize a trip to Istanbul for the long weekend. I’ve been to Turkey several times for work, but as a simple tourist, I hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy the legendary Turkish hospitality. The following are my thoughts on customer experience after distilling the lessons learned over four days:

Customer Comes First

When choosing accommodation, people primarily evaluate based on high ratings and value for money. Our accommodation was in the historic district, in a small boutique hotel. The room was tiny, just enough space for the bed, the walls were paper-thin, the bed was as hard as a rock, yet I gave it a perfect 10 on Booking.

Why?

Because my customer experience was that I’m important.

Every member of the staff smiled at us, addressed us by name, and never missed the opportunity to ask if we wanted anything else. Yes, the room was small, but it was exceptionally clean and tidy, with everything we needed. There was a fruit bowl and cold bottled water, and the next day, they even gave us a bottle of wine as a gift. After check-in, we received detailed information about the attractions (no, we don’t want a private guide, as we want to explore the famous historical sites ourselves, we’re considering the hammam). The receptionist was not the least bit unfriendly but wished us a pleasant stay. Control remains with the customer; the freedom to choose. And that’s a treasure.

Value for Money and Quality

Another thing I’ve experienced as a traveler is that the quality of breakfast greatly influences the quality of your entire stay. I’ve been in hotels where the elevator carpet was stained, and in the breakfast room, you could pour milk from worn-out pitchers for the otherwise terrible (I think it’s made from leftovers) coffee. On the other hand, there are places where the waiter personally creates a customized breakfast menu just for you.

The optimal solution has been found in Istanbul’s hospitality industry with the so-called Turkish breakfast. I don’t know if only we received such an indulgent experience, or if other guests at nearby hotels did as well, but they brought so many delicious items to our table that we could barely fit on the table. There was something to tantalize your taste buds, vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts, fruits, pancakes, jams, halva, and many other goodies. After placing everything on the overflowing table, they charmingly asked us what more they could bring us. (I simply asked for some scrambled eggs). There was no shortage of anything, and we were totally full,  nothing was missing until dinner.

Five-Star Customer Treatment

I could sing praises of Turkish restaurant hospitality, despite having had both good and bad experiences. What was good was exceptionally good. Impeccable flavors and delicious dishes. And the service.

You feel like you’re being treated as a guest, not just as someone they want to exploit, as you might experience in a downtown restaurant. The waiters are bustling, they never stop for a minute, they anticipate every wish of the guest, and they smile when we praise the food.

When you return to the place where you had a great meal the day before, they welcome you as a friend, shake your hand gratefully, and seat you in the best spot. And Cialdini’s principle of reciprocity* works brilliantly at the end of the sumptuous dinner with the gift of a bite-sized pistachio baklava, which ensures the appropriate tip for the waiter. Something I’m happy to give.

Natural-born Traders

It’s a cliché that the merchants at the Grand Bazaar  are not shy- once you enter, you can’t leave without buying at least something. With 90 million visitors from all over the world every year, roughly four thousand stores’ products are constantly tested.

And because the competition is enormous, the sellers are real pros.

They often use the opening question, “Where are you from?” to throw in a funny Hungarian phrase. Then we burst out in laugh so trust is based.

Strangely, they didn’t find it intrusive to ask about our marital status, the number of children, or other private matters. You have to build trust within minutes to make the customer spend their money with you. They offer coffee or tea to their valued customer.

Since practice makes perfect, we never felt pressured. There was a place where we spent at least 40 minutes browsing the merchandise.  It’s all about creating psychological safety (here, too!).

If we couldn’t find something we liked, they waved goodbye with a smile and approached the next potential customer.

Hats off to the Turks

Hats off to the Turks; they are excellent traders. They don’t spare the time for you, they genuinely show interest, listen, help, and could teach their up- and cross-selling tricks in any business school. They act like true trusted advisors for their clients.

Interestingly, there are no prices in the indoor, enclosed shops of the bazaar, and when we asked, they replied with a question: “In lira or euros?”

They switch brilliantly between Russian and English while serving multiple customers simultaneously. If the size you asked for  is unavailable, they immediately run to the neighboring shop, returning with the item.

Street vendors outside the bazaar work with price tags, but that doesn’t mean the prices are fixed, as bargain is  mandatory.

An elderly vendor held up his palm, on which he had written “150 lira” with a pen. Obviously missed of speak a foreign language, but still thrives.

The Bargain Dance

Bargaining is a playful act with its own choreography, which I particularly enjoyed.  I knew I wasn’t very good at it, as within a hundred meters, I might have been able to get the same product at half the price with better haggling skills. If you’re looking for something they don’t have, they’ll kindly escort you to a store where you can find it. Despite the huge crowds, allegedly there hasn’t been a theft in the bazaar since the 1500s (then the sultan hanged the thief).

The traders recommend each other, and there’s a strong sense of solidarity among them. The vendors I talked to have been running their businesses for generations.  and they have vast experience and practice in trading. The Grand Bazaar is also a cultural experience, as you can meet tourists from all over the world, observe how they haggle for prices, and act as shocked or disappointed customers in the hope of getting additional discounts.

Customer Experience

Luring customers and hooking them is a process that requires a lot of practice.

What would I bring home from this colorful medley?

Certainly, the merchant attitude.

Rarely do I encounter true traders here who make shopping an experience and a delight, and they are mostly from the older generation. Smiles are out of fashion here, and eye-rolling or a bored look is common. For some reason, in Hungary, the glass is always half empty. I noticed how the Turkish merchant closes his shop at 11 p.m., then reopens it fresh at 8 a.m., sweeps the sidewalk in front of the store, and dusts off the boxes, wiping the porcelain. Seven days a week. Only then does he sit in front of the shop with a cup of tea.

Smiling doesn’t cost anything. Being kind (or at least appearing so) and anticipating customer wishes, assessing their needs, and asking good questions are more demanding but clearly the merchant lives off their customers.

Value for money and quality. The other important thing is emotional intelligence, which allows them to quickly tune into potential customers, build trust, assess their financial situation and needs, and identify potential cross-selling opportunities in seconds.

 

Because it all starts in the right mindset.

 

If you feel like you want to support your clients  or team better – as a trusted advisor –  please contact me for a clarity call.

 

*According to Robert B. Cialdini’s book “Influence,” the principle of reciprocity is based on the idea that people fundamentally don’t like being in debt (with favors or help). In short: Treat others the way you want to be treated. The psychology behind all this is that people don’t like owing things to others. (Dessert with the restaurant bill). The feeling of “obligation” is what encourages people to respond more favorably to a favor received.