LAS VEGAS – “Customer service is transactional,” said Colin Gold, owner of Gold Level Hospitality. “What you really want to do is create a fan culture.”

Speaking here at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, Gold explained that fans are loyal, devoted, understanding, forgiving, and invested in your success. He used the example of sports teams whose fan support them even when they don’t win.

In order to create a fan culture, he said, you need to make memorable experiences for your customers. The first step in ensuring those memorable experiences happen is to get your people involved. “Your people are your fan creators. Make sure you communicate the message to them so they can buy into it.”

Fan culture will only happen if the key people in your organization lead by example. If you say it, you’ve got to do it,” Gold said.

As part of an “aftermarket briefing” kicking off HDAW, Gold focused on the "people" part of HDAW 2018’s theme, People-Partners-Profits.

He also said you must empower your team to make decisions. “You have to trust them to make good decisions, but correct them along the way if they make errors,” he advised, cautioning that you must offer criticism in a construction manner. Say something like, “I think you did a really great job [with the customer just now]. Here are a few other ways you can make it better next time. I really appreciate the job you did.”

Gold said when you and your team create a fan culture, you will turn relationships into partnerships.