If you’re a service professional, freelancer or consultant of any kind, you only need to do three very basic things — one at each stage of an engagement — to make your customer experience stand out.

1. Ask what matters most
When discussing the engagement ask your client what is most important to them about it. More often than not their answer will surprise you, and this valuable insight will set you up to succeed.

2. Occasional discretionary effort
No need to go overboard, but aim to do one or two things that make their lives a little bit easier. Anything helpful that you didn't have to do — but did anyway — will be appreciated.

3. A sincere gesture of gratitude
Whether it’s a thank you card, a celebratory dinner, doing someone a favor down the line, or some other thoughtful gesture, showing your appreciation for the opportunity to work together makes a big difference.

These may seem breathtakingly obvious, but trust me, they are not common practice. The biggest opportunity of all when it comes to customer experience is attending to the absolute basics that are too simple or menial for most people to bother with.

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