Ep. 11 — Tacey Atkinson on Putting Customers First
Amy welcomes her first podcast guest, Tacey Atkinson of Customers First. They talk about the connection between employee attrition and customer retention. Tacey shares her tips for creating a customer-centric culture and how it can benefit your museum.
Show Links
Where to Find Tacey
https://www.taceyatkinson.com/
IG: @taceyatkinson
Check out Tacey’s Customers First podcast!
Here are some of the episodes Amy has joined her on:
The Art of Authentic Brand Messaging and Relationship Building Through Experiences
In Search of Your Ideal Client
Clear, Concise Messaging Everywhere
More FREE resources:
Download the People First Framework Guide for Museums: https://bit.ly/4PSguide_lovemymuseum
Download the Planning Calendar for Museums: https://bit.ly/2024museumcal
You can also join Amy’s email list here: https://bit.ly/LMMpodcast_signup
Episode Transcript
[00:00:00]
Amy: Welcome to the Love my Museum podcast. I'm your host, Amy Kehs and I love museums. I also happen to be a brand strategist and communications expert, and today's episode is a really special one. I am being joined by my first guest, Tacey Atkinson. My friend, Tacey is the owner of Customer's First, where she helps her clients increase sales and brand loyalty while decreasing employee and customer attrition. Her goal is to create a customer-centered culture from the inside out. Welcome, Tacey! I'm so excited that you're here.
Tacey: Ah, I am so excited, Amy. I cannot wait for us to have this conversation.
Amy: First, I think we should probably let everyone know that we've been friends for a while now and I've been a guest on your podcast, "Customers First", quite a few times.
Tacey: Multiple, yeah. Maybe five, six. Yeah. Mm hmm. You have taught me so much about the connection between happy employees and loyal customers. So I'm really hoping today, that's what we can talk about. Let's start by telling my museum friends a little bit about your journey, and how you came to found "Customer's First."
[00:02:00]
Tacey: Absolutely. So, I grew up in a very small town, maybe 5, 000 people. And my father was a serial entrepreneur, is what we say now. He was just a guy who had business after business the whole time I was growing up. He really understood the importance of building that connection with the customer and so much so that he used to at our restaurant--we had like a lunch counter and underneath the counter--he had a recipe card box and on those cards would be people's names and then information about them so that when people would drive into the parking lot, he would quick duck down, find their card, read whether or not, you know, maybe their favorite meal, or how they liked their coffee, or what family members they had, maybe they had a kid that was just off to school, those kinds of things. He would very quickly scan the card so that he could greet that person and make them feel welcome within the establishment. And that taught me the importance of putting your customer first, whether that's the customer internally within your business, the employees, you treat them like family, you respect them, you care about them.
And whether it was that or the people who went from business to business with him. He had a loyal following that used to, you know, drive for miles just to have a piece of his lemon meringue pie and listen to him tell a story. So I learned from I was barely able to see over the lunch counter when we first started and for to go from that to I'm 62 years old now. I made it my life mission to spend my time in service as well in the hospitality industry. So I got a degree in food and beverage management, and then I took a little bit of a break, raised my family, and then I started Customers First about 10 years ago.
[00:04:00]
And then I just kind of did it, you know, dibbling my toes in. My dad got very ill and he made me promise before he passed that at some point I would bring the business to the east coast of Canada, where I am right now is Halifax, Nova Scotia, and he grew up here in, in Nova Scotia. Uh, and really teach people here that the internal customer, your team, is just as important as all your external customers. That meant a lot to him because East Coast Hospitality, everyone knows about that and treats their customers well, sometimes forgets about their team.
And without your team being treated well, you won't ever succeed at the rate you want to because you have to make the internal people happy so they can make your external people happy. It all comes together. So that's a bit about us.
Amy: It's so true, and you and I have talked about it so much that connection between happy employees and loyal customers. And I love your mission and I love, how you are helping businesses create that customer centric culture. When you're working with a company and you're talking to them about a customer centric culture, what does that look like? What do you want to help them build?
Tacey: So being customer centric has to go beyond just giving great customer service. It's not just about that.
[00:06:00]
It is about everything from the proper onboarding to make people feel welcome on your team, the proper training so that they have the knowledge that they need to be able to answer all the customers questions when they come on site or over the phone or however they interact with them. It is making them feel heard and respected. There's nothing worse than working for a company and you are the front line person and you see that there is a hiccup that you know could be easily fixed. Every time you try to make your boss aware of it, they're like, "Oh, I don't care. We do it this way." You can't get stuck in that because being customer centric involves the entire organization. Everyone has to serve that customer. So much so that I believe in team meetings, you have an empty seat, you have an empty seat, and that's the customer's chair. Everything has to focus around what is going to be best because ultimately your team and that customer are the only two things that are going to make you the success that you believe you can be with whatever product or service that you have. So treat your team with the respect and reverence that they deserve so that they do the same for your customer.
Amy: You know, that I talk about external communications and internal communications and how they're connected. No matter if you have three people working in your museum or 200 people working. They need to feel supported. Making them feel supported is huge.
Tacey: Absolutely. And I, and I agree that communication is key because it ensures that everyone is on the same page.
[00:08:00]
All the information is accurate because you may have told Bill, Sally, and Joe, but you didn't tell Susan. And so Susan is out on the front line saying something totally different, but it's not her fault because you didn't communicate the changes to her. So, having everyone get all the same communication and keeping the communication channels two way.
Communication within any organization, whether you're talking internal or external, has to be a two way street. You have to be willing to listen to your team and you have to be willing to listen to your customer.
If you, if they're telling you, well, it was really hard to get in the parking lot today. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's a big pot hole in the middle of your parking lot. If you're not paying attention to those things, you're not going to have quick, um, responses. They're not going to be happy.
If your team isn't happy, I promise you, if you've got employees who show up every day just because they have to, your customer is going to feel that and you need to nip that in the bud and that's all done through your culture.
Amy: What are some suggestions that you can give to help teams become customer centric?
Tacey: Sure. So building a team to be customer centric, like to build a culture, you're going to build a reputation in the community. That's how I want you to think about your culture. That is what your brand is going to be known by. So, if you're known as the museum that has very distant,employees, so people who, when you try to approach them, they're very curt with the answers.
They only give you what they need. Instead of, "Oh my gosh, you have to go to this place!"
[00:10:00]
I'll give you an example. I travel a lot with my daughter, and we went to Miami a few years ago. And we went to a museum there, very off the beaten path, we kind of wandered around,
and someone must have noticed us out of the corner of their eye, because then all of a sudden, this woman comes up, and she's like, "I see that you're new here." And we, we both said kind of collectively, "Does it show?" And she said, "Yes, but you know what? I cannot wait to show you this new exhibit we got." We ended up in a totally different section of the museum than we were even standing in, but she was so passionate about this new exhibit that they just got, that she just learned about that she was bursting at the seams to share it with someone. And that's what you want. You want, I mean, that has to be 12, 13 years ago and I've never forgotten it.
I haven't been able to be back there yet, but I, it is definitely the next time we're in Miami, that is definitely one of the stops that we will make because of the people. It wasn't because of the exhibits, exhibits change all the time. But your team is going to be what you're known by. So making sure that when you've got something new, you're training your staff because they are the face of your brand. I guess that's the other thing that I find people struggle with. You are not your building. You are your people. Because when your customers come in your door, it's the people that they're going to associate with your brand, not your building.
If you can get everyone to collaborate together, swiftly address anything that comes up and boost the customer's morale while they're there, they're going to--just like you and I know with Disney-- they're going to want to come back for more because you've made them feel special while they were there.
[00:12:00]
Amy: You want that loyal following just like your dad had with his lemon meringue pie. And you're right. It may not necessarily be the exhibit or the painting on the wall or the science interactive. It is going to be how people felt when they visited your museum.
Tacey: Absolutely. And I would even go so far, Amy, as to say that people that you are lucky enough that are regulars, that come in all the time, find out what they love. When you're getting a new exhibit that is in, let's say, like I'm very passionate about birds. If you sent me a letter and said, You know what? We have a new aviary opening and you are going to die when you see all this stuff. I would be signing up and telling every friend that I have.
So yes, it's important to get to know your customers on a personal level, but you have to start with your team. So putting the right people in the right place to give the customer the right experience is what's going to make you a success.
Amy: Oh, definitely. customer experience is everyone's job.
Even if you don't think that you are, you know, customer facing or visitor facing, that customer's experience is still your top priority, whether you're working behind the scenes or at the front door.
Tacey: Absolutely. Foster effective communication within your team with the customer in mind all the time. Remember the empty seat. Really solve problems when they arise with a customer in an efficient and timely manner. Give them personalized service.
[00:14:00]
Streamline everything so that it's always in the customer's best interest, not yours, because their best interest is your best interest. And as long as you continually work on it, and customers can see that, and employees can see that you're continually trying to make it an atmosphere of joy and everyone working--I always tease that everyone's driving on the same train. So, you know, if you get everybody going in the same direction, it is all going to come to a big circle and everyone will succeed in the end.
Amy: Yeah. And I think that continuous improvement that asking, seeking feedback is something that people can be afraid to do. They're afraid for that feedback. But it's important.
Tacey: And, and I would say it is probably the most important interaction that you will have. You need to make sure that you ask them, "How was your visit today? What stood out for you the most? What would you have liked to have seen different?" You can ask a half a dozen questions on someone's exit, whether that's physically as they're exiting, whether that's, um, filling out a quick survey after they've had a visit, however you choose to do that. Here's the key, Amy, I think it's so crucial that if you're going to go to the trouble to do this, please, don't ignore what they tell you.
I cannot tell you how many times I've put a not so favorable comment in one of those surveys and still have never heard anything back or have never seen anything change within that facility. People remember that they took the time to tell you there was a problem. They didn't have to do that. They could have just went and told 50 people instead.
[00:16:00]
They took the time to tell you. Respect them, thank them for it. It's the best gift they could give you and then fix the problem,
Being a leader is not for the faint of heart, and dealing with the public is not for the faint of heart, your perspective on things is always going to be skewed and we as human beings always see things the way we think they are. We have to listen to our team and listen to our customers in order to hear how it really is, because that's how you find all those bumps in the road, the things that you're thinking are okay and it turns out, oh, no, actually, there's like this, uh, problem here. And there's some friction and I need to minimize that. So someone tells you, pay attention to it, do what you can to fix it, because that is what's going to build your reputation.
Amy: Yes, 100%. So everyone at the end of Tacey's show, she always throws some pop questions out to her guests and, I'm so sorry, Tacey, I just couldn't let my opportunity slip away to ask you a question.
Tacey: Oh, we're going to do reverse spill the tea. Okay, I'm ready. Come on, bring it on.
Amy: It is. It's super easy, I mean, compared to some of the zingers that you throw my way when I'm on your podcast. Okay. Tacey, what is your favorite museum?
Tacey: Oh, when my daughter and I were driving across the country from Alberta to Ontario, we stopped, at the Human Rights museum. Now that that museum was-- stop you in your soul. There was a lot of things there that, you know, made us really, question some of the things that have happened in our country.
So that was very eyeopening, but I will always, that is in Winnipeg and, phenomenal museum.
[00:18:00]
If you ever get the chance, you must go there just absolutely. You have to have a whole day. You really do. It is huge. Highly recommend it though, and their bistro is amazing.
I do digress though. I will always have a soft spot for the ROM because the, the ROM in Toronto is probably the epitome of everything that I expect from a museum. The experiences are amazing. Over the summer, they're doing Monday nights free. So, uh, anyone who's listening, who's in Ontario, for heaven's sakes, go to the ROM.
You will not regret it. It is quite an experience.
But on a side note, Amy, I must say, the Shoe museum that Bata has put up in Ontario, that's a pretty, pretty big second place to the ROM because I love shoes. So that's pretty cool. But, but, but the ROM for sure is, is the number one.
Amy: See, that wasn't so bad. That was fun, huh?
Tacey: Absolutely.
Amy: Tacey, I'd love to hear any final thoughts and also tell people where they can find you.
Tacey: Well, the where people can find me is pretty easy, taceyatkinson. com, and I'm on all the socials as Tacey Atkinson. Can't miss me. Look for the glitter. That's me. Spread purple magic everywhere I go. As for final thoughts, Amy, I would just say really think about the importance that your team makes in every day of your facility because without them, nothing else happens.
[00:20:00]
So you have to treat them with that reverence. I think if there's anything that I would ask the teams that are listening that work inside those facilities, I'd ask you to think about the four things that I love to teach.
And that's cake. So be customer focused, be attentive, be knowledgeable about whatever service or product you have, and always exceed the customer expectation. That's what's going to take care of your customer. And now we know that your leadership is going to take care of you.
Amy: Thank you so much, Tacey for being my first guest. And thank you for everything that you've taught me about the customer experience. I will leave your information in the show notes for my listeners, and maybe I'll also leave some links to some of your podcast episodes that you and I have done. together.
Tacey: Oh, that'll be fun. Yes, absolutely.
I would love that. Thank you, Amy. It's been my pleasure.
Amy: Aw thank you so much. And thanks for listening, everyone. I'll see you next time.
