Have you ever thought of the reasons why you prefer having your coffee or meals at a certain restaurant or hotel?
Perhaps it is because they go the extra mile to make you happy and satisfied with their services. For instance, you are offered a seat as soon as you walk in, served promptly and occasionally offered a free desert. Not to mention the fact, that the waiters and waitresses are always smiling, friendly and approachable.
The good customer services that you receive all add up to making it your best spot!
Going the Extra Mile means doing more than what is required of you. Doing more than what your job description dictates. Going the extra mile for clients is vital in ensuring they come back.
For the services industry, into which public relations squarely falls, keeping clients happy and satisfied can be tricky, but it is a crucial skill that one must master because it eventually determines your success as a service provider.
A regular happy clientele keeps you financially afloat to pay bills and allow you to make the improvements in your services that could attract yet more customers.
Showing empathy is one way of going the extra mile. As a PR Agency, avoid the rush to draft press releases and schedule meetings. Admittedly, this is what you’re supposed to do, but also try to cultivate good relationships with the client and understand what they want to achieve.
Clients we have built a solid relationship with are more inclined to buy your higher end packages, because they trust that you have their best interests at heart and that of their brand.
Developing and distributing press releases is still the most widely used form of branded communication for media. However it does no harm to pick a few highlights then share them on social media platforms as an Agency.
At a recently concluded client event, even before the event could start, we were already posting about it on our social media channels. This way, we were putting into practice one of our core values of ‘Extra mile’. This helped us drive traffic, increase brand awareness and enhance client reputation.
Going the extra mile applies to both clients and workmates/colleagues relationships; Remembering birthdays, accepting an extra task to help accomplish a task/goal. A simple ‘great job’ or ‘Thank you’ note can also make a positive impact.
Interestingly, the expression, “go the extra mile” originally comes from the Bible: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”– Matthew 5.41. It was coined in a tale where someone was asked to walk a mile with another person but chose to walk two.
In other words, ‘give them a way to succeed and a reason to stay, by going the extra mile’.
