How Coldplay inspires customer service excellence

For a band that has achieved admirable feats such as highest grossing tour (over US$1 billion to date), highest tour attendance (10 million tickets), top-selling albums and industry awards (434, including seven Grammys), the mere mention of Coldplay invokes dismissive eye rolling and gushing endorsements in equal measure.  

Firmly in the latter camp, I was fortunate to attend several concerts in Melbourne recently. The experience was every bit as euphoric as anticipated, a feeling I was privileged to share with my 16-year-old daughter and the record-breaking crowds attending Marvel and Accor Stadium shows.

Lisa and daughter Skye outside Coldplay concert in Melbourne. Source: Supplied.

So, how have these four young guys who met at university conquered the competitive music world so definitively and stayed at the top of their game for more than a quarter of a century? 

In the subsequent Everglow of attending the recent shows, here are some personal observations and how they relate to running your business. 

Love your customers/fans/supporters

Coldplay does this better than any other performers I’m aware of. Frontman Chris Martin thanks fans effusively throughout shows and in every media interview, expresses genuine gratitude for allowing the band to continue doing the jobs they clearly love. 

Coldplay has also confirmed ticket prices will be as advertised for future tours and they will never employ the kind of dynamic pricing that recently earned the wrath of Oasis fans when prices soared due to demand. Coldplay tickets are priced lower than other global acts and the band also releases low-priced ‘Infinity’ tickets for every show (US$20 or equivalent) to make tickets more accessible for fans. 

Surprise and delight your customers

Coldplay shows are packed with every conceivable sensory experience: fireworks, confetti guns, lasers, giant balloons, sophisticated video graphics, cascading stars, 3D glasses and their famous LED Xylobands, which make every person part of the concert’s dazzling light show. Combined with Martin’s infectious energy, charismatic crowd engagement, and uninhibited (or unhinged) dance moves, it all adds up to a magical and unforgettable experience.

How could every business surprise and delight customers in a similarly memorable way?

Delivering a mix of the expected and unexpected

Every Coldplay concert includes non-negotiable favourites songs that fans sing every word: Yellow, Viva La Vida, Fix You, Sky Full of Stars, Clocks, The Scientist, Paradise. They simply must deliver what is expected — enthusiastically and perfectly — at every show. That they can consistently deliver these songs with peak energy during this tour (now up to show #175) is a testament to their professionalism. 

Coldplay also delivers the unexpected with surprises like the new song The Karate Kid being performed on night two in Melbourne. The audience was invited to be part of the music video and they even flew original karate kid Ralph Macchio from New York to appear on stage. There were also moving dedications to Martin’s close friend Shane Warne and a nod to John Farnham and AC/DC songs to engage the hometown Melbourne crowd.

Be upfront about problems and how you’re handling them

On the first night of Coldplay’s Australian tour, something went wrong. For the first time in the band’s 26-year history, all four members were not on stage: bass player Guy Berryman was suddenly taken ill. Martin came out to explain they’d had an hour to figure out a solution, with their sound engineer stepping in to play bass – and the show was delivered seamlessly. Talk about rising to the occasion under pressure before a full stadium! 

At my business, Eden Yarra Valley, we also recently encountered a potentially disastrous problem. During a severe storm last year, the entire property was about to be flooded hours before a corporate group of 27 guests was arriving for a national conference. Our team was all hands on deck, packing and stacking sandbags and unblocking drains in waist-deep water, which saved the property and our guests were none the wiser. Had that solution not worked, we’d have needed to handle things very differently. 

Be inclusive wherever possible

Coldplay really walks the talk on inclusivity. The band provides a dedicated area for hearing-impaired people to enjoy the concert and provides special harnesses called subpacks that allow deaf people to feel the music through vibrations as well as providing interpreters. Martin also performs one song in sign language. 

The band is well known for its support of differently-abled musicians too, giving them a global platform as support acts, and have been strong advocates for the LGBTQ community throughout their careers.

It makes me consider what other inclusivity innovations we could incorporate into our accommodation, especially for those with a disability.

Make every customer experience the best it can possibly be

With the Music of the Spheres tour ongoing since March 2022, the lads could be forgiven for becoming a little weary of performing the same material, and yet every show is consistently amazing: bursting with energy, enthusiasm and joyous stadium singalongs. Everyone feels like the band is delivering its absolute peak performance, and emotional fan responses are universal (tears really do stream down faces). 

I once read that the band subscribes to the idea that every concert could be someone’s very first or very last, and they had a duty to provide an amazing experience for that person – and deliver they certainly do. 

Not a bad customer service philosophy to adopt for any business.

Quick thinking and communication when things go wrong

How would you handle an aggressive fan climbing on stage, then falling dramatically and smashing through stage lights? How about tripping backward through an unexpected trapdoor on the stage whilst talking to the crowd? 

For an absolute masterclass in handling unexpected events when there are 60,000 people watching live and millions online, check out videos of Chris Martin’s calm and caring response to the first (‘Sure he’s ok? Can someone give him a drink and a sandwich please? That was impressive, man!’) and instant recovery with humour for the latter during the November 3 show (‘Holy shit, that was almost a YouTube moment and not a good one’ and ‘Bonus for you’ to the stagehand who broke his fall).  

With Eden’s customer service journey, I’ve found that instantly responding to any guest issue and always communicating a plan, goes a long way to minimising any problem.

Do what makes your heart sing

Anyone who has witnessed the unbridled joy with which Martin sprints across stages, dances with abandon, jokes with the audience and sings his heart out at every concert can see this idea in action. 

It makes me reflect on what makes a product or service truly unique. What makes your heart sing when it comes to your business? For me, it’s providing a venue and a total experience that creates life-long memories for our guests.

So thank you Coldplay, for demonstrating customer service excellence in action and on a global scale; and providing inspiration for more businesses to do the same.

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