Great customer service, even after the purchase, is a big determining factor on whether your business will be successful.
As part of my series about the five things a business should do to create a Wow! customer experience, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tiffany S. Williams.
When it comes to describing Tiffany S. Williams, MBA, the phrase “Real women support other women,” is an understatement. A motivational and inspirational force to be reckoned with, Williams is Founder and CEO of Rich Girl Collective, an online training academy for women who are looking to turn their passion into a side hustle or a successful full-time business. After unsubscribing from the narrative that women can’t “have it all” as a working professional, Tiffany has made it her life’s work to assist other women in transitioning from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur using online businesses as their vehicle. Tiffany is a firm believer in the idea that “great reward follows hard work” and she uses this mantra to encourage others to get out of their own way so that they can live a life that brings them joy and fulfillment. As a dynamic online business coach, digital marketing consultant, two-time best-selling author, and speaker, Tiffany has grown her tribe to over 70,000 women in her private online communities. As an online business strategist, she teaches her students the same strategies that she learned and implemented while working in corporate America that have propelled her to unprecedented levels of online business success. When she isn’t helping her students build their business, she is consulting corporations on their digital marketing strategy and workplace community culture. To date, Tiffany has been featured by and contributes to Forbes, Thrive Global, and Addicted 2 Success. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, working out at the gym, and traveling the world. If you are looking for a relevant, relatable and real voice to pour into your employees, students, or clients, Tiffany S. Williams, is your match. Tiffany is available for keynote presentations, expert panels, workshop host, or corporate “lunch and learn” sessions.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
My journey started with tragedy. But I believe that obstacles are opportunities in disguise. My journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur and business coach started during Hurricane Katrina. Just months before my wedding, the hurricane hit New Orleans. Like many, my family and I lost everything. All that I owned at the time was gone and picking up the pieces in the aftermath was another challenge within itself. After the storm, many people didn’t have the option to return to work. It was at that moment I knew that I never wanted to be in a situation where I wouldn’t be able to make money when “life” happens. My interest in e-commerce came from my desire to have a situation-independent income stream. My thought process was simple: If I had an online business it wouldn’t be affected by a national disaster, layoff, or government shutdown. As long as I had my laptop, I’d be in business.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
When starting out in business, I was one to believe that everything had to be perfect prior to launching. I spent months trying to perfect my logo, my inventory, and my website that I overlooked the process of triple checking. I overworked the process. I paid for advertising, shared with my family and friends, and didn’t receive any sales. I was so puzzled as to why that was so. I knew my family and friends were very supportive and that my ads were generating traffic but still no sales. When I finally went back to check the website, I realized that I never removed the password from the website so nobody could make a purchase. I learned that day that it’s important to dot all your I’s and cross all your t’s, but it’s never too late to do so.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
There are several people I can attribute my success to; and not all of them have I directly encountered. During this journey I have learned from the greats to have ever do it; one being Beyoncé, the great Michelle Obama, YouTubers, and other Entrepreneurs. But If I had to nail it down; and I know this may seem cliché, but; it would have to be my parents and my husband.
My parents from young instilled in me that I could do anything I put my mind to. They would say to me, “If someone else can do it you can do it. They have the same size brain as you.” They always pushed me to do better and been the backbone to my success.
Now my husband, he has just been super supportive even through the hard stages. When he thought, “she is crazy”, he was still there to carry me when I didn’t have enough money to invest in my learning. Whatever I needed and whatever he could do to push my business forward, he was just there. They continue to be my biggest cheerleaders and I am forever grateful for them.
Thank you for that. Let’s now pivot to the main focus of our interview. This might be intuitive, but I think it’s helpful to specifically articulate it. In your words, can you share a few reasons why great customer service and a great customer experience is essential for success in business?
Great customer service, even after the purchase, is a big determining factor on whether your business will be successful. I understand that you can’t always please everyone but what you can focus on is supporting the individuals who spend their hard-earned money with you.
We have all had times either in a store, or online, when we’ve had a very poor experience as a customer or user. If the importance of a good customer experience is so intuitive, and apparent, where is the disconnect? How is it that so many companies do not make this a priority? The disconnect comes in when most business owners focus more of their attention to making the next sell rather than truly servicing their customers. When you basically begin to treat your customers like a number, you miss out on an opportunity to build that customer-brand relationship that will bring repeat business.
Do you think that more competition helps force companies to improve the customer experience they offer? Are there other external pressures that can force a company to improve the customer experience? The more competitors someone has can cause them to enhance their customer service practices.
As far as an external pressure that can advance a company’s customer experience, I would have to say testimonials can have a heavy impact on how you deliver service. Now, I don’t believe the saying is always right because in instances things can be otherwise. But obtaining customer testimonials and feedback can help improve your customer experience.
Can you share with us a story from your experience about a customer who was “Wowed” by the experience you provided? The best way to share a “wowed” customer service experience is to share a couple of our customer testimonials…
Yes! A million times yes! Tiffany goes above and beyond to ensure she provides the best and most up to date techniques and ways to earn passive income. She will definitely hold you accountable and will check up on you. I met up with her three times last year in 3 different cities so I could be coached by the best. She is the real deal and the bomb.com
— LACI GREER
I purchased the boutique training & I learned a lot. Shoot I’ve learned from the Facebook Lives. She provided so much information in the boutique training.
— RENEE LOCKHART
Did that Wow! experience have any long term ripple effects? Can you share the story?
Yes! Most of our customers become repeat customers because they see value in our product, as well as, find value in themselves from the customer service experience that I provide. One of my customers buys from me every time I release a new class or product. And that’s because I check in on her, I extend myself to her, and I actually care about her outside of business. That’s how I am with my customers.
Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a founder or CEO should know in order to create a Wow! Customer Experience. Please share a story or an example for each.
- Always under promise and over deliver. This makes the service that your customer receives much better.
- Surprise & Delight. Through in something extra unexpectedly. The customer appreciates when you go above and beyond for them; it takes a normal customer experience to a great customer experience.
- Attend to your customer needs. For example, I do a “30 for 30” Q & A for my customers allowing them to get answers to some of the hard questions that they have just to ensure they have all the tools they need to reach success.
- Check in or Follow up with your customers.
- Be comfortable with giving away stuff.
Are there a few things that can be done so that when a customer or client has a Wow! experience, they inspire others to reach out to you as well?
I can’t stress it enough. Testimonials. Always get testimonials or show case studies in which your clients has reached success. This will give your future customers a true reflection of your business. In my Rich Gil Collectives, my customer s will sell my courses before I do because they believe in my products and they enjoy their experience with me. Other people’s marketing will help catapult your business more than you can.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I have created a movement with Rich Girl Collectives. I have helped 5,000 women successfully create situational- independent income so in times like this they don’t need to make money out of desperation, but they can continue to move forward. Everything I have done and continue to do have brought about the most amount of change to the most amount of people.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.instagram.com/richgirlcollective/
FB group (38,016 members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/richgirlcollective/