With Scott Grates, Agent & Insurance Agency Optimization Coach
Length: 7:54
Agent and Coach Scott Grates describes his first-class flight experience and how those principles translate to a first-class experience for your customers to elevate your agency’s reputation. From comfort and priority services to networking opportunities, this article explores the transformative impact of a first-class journey.
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TRANSCRIPT
First-Class Customer Experience
I want to share with you something that happened in 2017 that legit changed my life forever.
And there’s two main takeaways that I want you to get from today. So the long and short of it is my family and I planned this bucket list trip back in the summer of 2017. We took our three kids from Seattle, drove down the coast through Oregon, into the Northern California redwoods into Frisco, and then flew from Frisco to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
It was about a three-week road trip. We rented a sweet minivan and we put about 1500 miles on that sucker. And so when we were getting ready to fly back across the country from Portland to Syracuse in New York, where I reside thereabouts, I wanted to surprise the family. We had all been jammed up in this minivan in little hotel rooms and whatnot for three weeks.
And so I bought five first-class tickets. Now, I had never flown first class in my life. I fly a lot or I had flown a lot until that point. Actually back then, I, I was just 40 years old. And so at through 40 years, a lot of flying coach. And so I said for the first time, we’re going to fly first class.
The experience changed my life forever. And I made a whole bunch of notes here, so I apologize as I read some of this to you. But here’s my list of why first class is so much different and better of an experience, comfort, and space. Larger, more comfortable seat soften, they fully recline. Some return into beds, more leg room, personal space, wider seats, more elbow room priority service. So you get to check in quicker. You get priority boarding. So you get on the plane first. And when you get on the plane first, they start serving you unlimited beverages, whatever you want, including the booze. They give you real glass glasses. They legit will stop the line of people coming in so they can serve you the person in first class.
So you’ve got dedicated airline staff to take care of. You enhance amenities like in-flight, entertainment, noise-canceling headphones, the, the, what am I thinking here? The blankets, the pillows, right? So all like much better quality. The food you get, food options that the people in the back don’t. Like I said, the beverage menu is much, much better and all included in the price, customized menus, more privacy, power outlets, more of those access to air airport lounges, and oftentimes complimentary food and beverage are in those two. That’s a whole different experience that, that I could tell you all about. You know, we talked about comfortable seating. You get sometimes better or bigger or more baggage.
I don’t check bags I carry on exclusively, but that is a perk. As far as carry-ons, you, you’ll never not have access to an overhead bin because you’re the first on the plane. You get priority service. You know, you, you get, like I said, the, the attentive service, and then you are, you know, networking, right? So this is something, this is one of the pieces I want to talk about. You know, that you’re in a different network of people when you’re sitting first class. The other thing that happens is mental. Now the first-class people get on first. I’ve done this, you do this, right? What are you doing? You’re going past, as you’re waiting in this line to get to the back and you’re looking at the people in first class. Now all different people are probably thinking all different things, but as you sit there in first class, you feel different, you feel better, you feel as if you belong to this, you know, club or special treatment area. Mentally. And this is all about the mental game with what we do.
We, I hear from team members all the time, I want to increase my confidence, right? So from a confidence standpoint, you know, shoulders back had a little higher. You’re sitting in first class, you’re rubbing elbows, literally with some high-level people. And, you start to think about yourself differently. You start to feel differently. And then when you start to think and feel differently about yourself, you start to act differently. And you’re starting to act as if you are one of those people… because, guess what? You are, you always have been, but this experience kind of draws it out. Stress reduction, you’re the first off the plane, which brings you either home or to your next, you know, transfer quicker. The list could go on and on.
But two primary reasons I share this with you. Put yourself in situations like this. You know, not, I get it. Not everyone has the means to fly first class all the time. I don’t fly first class all the time, but if it’s within, especially if it’s a trip that it’s just me or just me and my wife, the three kids get a little expensive.
But if it’s, you know, within a hundred, 200 bucks, and sometimes it is, depending on where you’re going, 100% worth the investment, you should do it at least once in your life to experience what it’s like to be in first class. We already talked about the confidence and the culture and just how it fundamentally changes you. When you stay at nicer hotels, you eat at nicer restaurants, you wear nicer clothes, you fly first class, you know, you take a black car service instead of an Uber. All of these little things, you know, turn you into mentally, like one of the, the millionaires, billionaires on Shark Tank, right? You, you start living that life and you start acting differently.
I promise it will fundamentally change you. The other thing from an agency standpoint is how do we create this first-class experience for our customers? Now, I just rattled off like 14, 15 different bullet points that I jotted down about my first-class experience and the service and how it was unique and so much better.
Well, we talk about this all the time when it comes to our agencies, you know, how do we create a unique and memorable customer experience? One where people go, dang, like I’m proud to do business there and I can’t wait to tell my friends and family about how they do business there. So how are you going to address people? What are people going to receive? What level of service are you going to offer? What are you going to do that’s, that’s different than every other agency in your town? How are you going to stand out? How are you going to earn the right to be referred? How are you going to increase your retention? Right? And it doesn’t need to be 14, 15 things on a bullet point, but what I want you to do today is just think about that first-class experience.
Many of your customers are paying more to be with you. Point blank. If they all shopped, probably two-thirds, maybe three-fourths of your book can find a lower rate elsewhere. So they’re paying extra intentionally to be with you, just like you would pay extra to get that first-class experience, right? That first class seat, because you know,
it comes with the experience. And so we can’t cheat our customers out of that first-class experience. So I’m not going to belabor this point. You get it. I want you to take action on one or two bullet points that can create a first-class experience for your customers, for your prospects today. And then most importantly, I want you to execute on that promise.
Give them that first-class treatment. And when you’re booking your next trip, take a look, see what the price difference is. I promise it will change you for the better.
