You’re a small business owner who has a Brand. Yes, that’s Brand with a capital B.

Your brand is:

• What people say about you when they tell their friends
• How you treat potential clients
• The emotions and information conveyed on your website
• How you price your goods and services
• The ways you interact with clients from start to finish
• The products you offer or choose not to offer
• What you do for a client that goes beyond their expectations
• Your logo and traditional ‘branding’ materials

You have a Brand. But there are photos to edit and bills to pay, phone calls to return and errands to run. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the details and lose sight of your Brand’s aspirations during the daily grind.

Lux Undercover will help your Brand take baby steps toward providing better client experiences.

Even with a teeny budget.

It’s very specific, and filled with actionable items. Some are even free to implement!

– Gwen W.

Even with just a little bit of time.

Even if you’ve never been to a 5-star hotel and don’t care to own a designer handbag.

Even if you kinda sorta hate customer service.

I’m now on page 34 and I have identified the source of all my customer service hating woes. Be it known that the deep fierce storm clouds have parted into lovely sun rays with angelic choruses.

Friends, there is hope for my lost soul.  And if this can help ME… of all people…actually be excited about the future customer service in a business I was on the brink of turning my back on forever, there is hope for anyone.

– Brooke S.

No matter where you are in your Brand’s journey, Lux Undercover can help you create meaningful and rewarding client experiences.

Let’s say you’re an average electronics store, and you want to be the Apple store. There are small steps that can get you moving in the right direction. You could greet customers upon their arrival. You could answer the phone on the first ring. You could make sure your floor is clean and that all your light bulbs are currently functioning. You could provide a play area for kids to keep them from bothering other customers.

Tiny, thoughtful changes create big results.

Lux Undercover outlines those tiny changes to move your business in the direction of crazy-awesome, totally-rabid client loyalty. We’ve gleaned wisdom from the world’s big brands and made it applicable to YOUR business.  It’s the tale of what happens when two business women (Alicia Caine and Kristen Kalp) dig around in some of the world’s biggest, most exclusive brands.

We bought shoes and dresses and steaks and workout clothing and plants and $14.75 raspberry drinks, all in the name of better defining the makings of an extraordinary customer experience.  Lux Undercover is the result.

You’ll learn to:

• make clients feel valued and welcomed
• introduce high-end offerings to your business without losing current clients
• help clients decide what they want more quickly and easily
• tweak product offerings for maximum sales
• manage client expectations
• define the clients who suit your business best
• ensure that clients are satisfied with their experience
• use our benchmarks for defining where your Brand is and where you’d like it to go

Lux Undercover isn’t about making your brand hoity-toity or fancy-schmancy, though you’re welcome to hoity-toity yourself all day long.

It’s the Cliff Notes version of Super-Awesome Branding + Customer Service, as brought to you by the world’s most luxurious brands.

Because those luxurious brands know what they’re doing – there’s no bored teenager asking to take your order at a 5-star steakhouse. No slightly-inept cashier taking your money at Nordstrom.  High-end brands know how to create positive feelings in customers. With the experiences and to-do’s in Lux Undercover, you can do the same.

P.S. Before we forget — make sure you read about the nifty bonuses you get just for buying!

#2 – Create specific timelines and then beat them.

Recently, my hubby and I had to replace our crappy living room couches.  We ended up order the replacements from a local furniture store that we went to only because our options are slim with living in the sticks. We were told to expect them to be delivered in six weeks.

We kind of expected that it was going to take awhile, but we weren’t super thrilled about as the date.  It landed exactly the day before my due date to have baby #6. NOT the best of times when you are planning a homebirth, right?

Imagine how thrilled we were to get a call two weeks later saying that our furniture was on its way to be delivered!  The sales girl pulled some strings to get our order completed sooner because she knew we were about to a baby. Our minds were blown!  We had no idea she was going to do this for us or that she even cared.

Apply this ‘beat the timeline’ principle to your business by outlining a very timeline with your clients in your policies and/or welcome packet.  For example, expect blog post to be up within X days of session, order to be placed by X, order delivered by X.

Give yourself enough timeline wiggle room to beat your outlined, public timeline without having to be a total crazed nutjob.  Then proceed to exceed your client’s expectations.

“Pull strings” for your clients not because they ask, beg, whine, or demand them. Make magic happen when they least expect it but could really use it.  Observe their needs and wow ‘em by exceeding those expectations.

#3 – Give your clients a recommend vendors list after their session.

Vendor ideas:

If you don’t dig framing in-house, do a little research in local frame shops and give your favorites, complete with a recommendation of why you love those particular stores.
Give clients website links of places they can use their digital files.
Provide a list of interior designers that might be willing to help the client do wall arrangements.
Give the phone number of a handy man who is skilled in hanging frames & canvases. (Not all hubbies are handy, right?)

If you can, Include discounts or booking incentives from the businesses (after you build a relationship with them, they might be more than happy to have a custom coupon just for your clients!)

Best of all, this tip is a once-and-done item.  Do the research, make a PDF, and send it along to every client with their order.  No special work or customizing, and it serves the client best!  

Help your clients make sure that their swoon-worthy session images make it up on their walls and not resting up against the wall on the bedroom floor like someone I know!  ::hangs head in shame::

XOXO,

Alicia

Communication is free, and it only takes a little extra time.

One of my biggest pet peeves with customer service is that when I spend a nice chunk of change on something, there is often a total lack of communication. I’m the kind of person that wants to be in the know every step of the way.

When I buy a custom order online, I want to know that my order was received.  I want to know when it’s going to be made, I want to know when to expect it to be shipped, and THEN I want to know that it was shipped because I received my tracking number.  Once it arrives, I want to know that the business appreciated me for choosing them. I want to feel like my business was recognized and valued and that they hope that I return.

Maybe I’m a little bit of a Type A, control freak….okay, I am.  But I truly believe everyone should be treated this way!

You can apply this ‘keep ‘em updated’ mentality to your business by keeping in contact with your client from the minute they book your services until after they receive their order.

Keep your clients in the know that you are thinking about them, that they are on your mind, and that you value them, as well as their business.

And no, tagging them on Facebook by saying “I LOVE my clients!!!! They are awesome!!!” is not what I’m referring to when I talk about communicating more frequently with your clients.

Right now, grab a piece of scrap paper and list ways you can increase communication with your clients.

These can be simple little e-mails that only take a minute to write.  Cute reminders like:

Counting down the days to our session — do you have your outfits ready?  Let me know if you need any help with choosing clothing or need shopping suggestions!

Looking over the files from today’s session, and I can’t wait to have sneak peeks up for you on the blog soon!

Your online gallery/ordering session will hit in X days!  Don’t forget, I’m only a phone call away if you have any questions!

Finalized your order with my lab today!  I’ll be in touch with you in X days to set up a pick-up/delivery time.

Even if you tell these things to your clients in a welcome packet, PDF download, catalog, or brochure, don’t assume that they read it.  Also, don’t underestimate the power of making darn sure they know what’s happening next, even if they could just refer to page 17 of the brochure to figure it out.

Once you’ve got these little check-in e-mails created, make up a document of copy  & paste e-mails you can quickly send off so you don’t have to write them each time. 

Stop back tomorrow for part two of the ‘Three Free Ways to Up Your Customer Service Ante’ series!

XOXO,

Alicia

Bonus #1 from Alicia: When it doesn’t go according to plan.

Alicia talks about the oh-no of being in the photography business: when a client doesn’t like the work you’ve just done. What do you do when, despite your best efforts, your clients just aren’t buying — or worse, they want a refund? It’s just as important to offer lux-undercover-level service when the dookie hits the fan as it is when everything is going superbly. Here’s how.

Bonus #2 from Kristen: Thinking the Lux Undercover way at live events.

When you are promoting you wares or services at live swanky live auctions, how you can class it up and create an experience to remember — instead of tossing out an 8×10″ print and a stack of business cards? This bonus will get your mind whirling with possibilities.

Bonus #3 from our resident Design Expert, Michelle (i.e. from A Girl Named Fred) : Keep Calm & Brand On.

This bonus includes three expert lessons in building your brand and your visual identity, complete with simple lessons to create a custom look WITHOUT hiring a professional graphic designer.

If you’re ready to purchase — and gain access to these bonuses — just hit the button below!

Psst!  Got doubts?

Juicy secrets — you know you wanna listen.

How do I provide a luxury experience on a semi-low budget?
How many times have you FAILED?
I’m new to photography — is this book right for me?
I work from home — I don’t have time for editing photos AND in-person sales. Can Lux Undercover methods be adapted to internet sales?

Hear our B-word advice.

How do you get over feeling like your clients will judge you for not being as well off as they are?
How can I market to more people? I’ve done SEO, I’ve done freebies…and no bookings.
What if the nearest Nordstrom is three hours away? How do I sell luxury in the middle of nowhere?

Listen in on the Business Persona segment.

For a quick refresher and a laugh, you can listen to us as we answer your burning questions about the book. We’ll be revealing one a day for the next few days, so stop back later for more!

Lux Basics answers the following questions:

What exactly iS Lux Undercover, again?
Tell me in 5 words or less how this is different from your other products.
Do I have pretend to be luxurious to cater to those people in my business?
What can this teach me that, if I’m honest with myself, I *don’t* already know? Above and beyond, top-notch customer service, etc…?
Is there a way to have a highly successful, high end boutique brand without having only filthy rich clients?

Listen to the Lux Basics audio segment.