Through the Eyes of the Customer

Customer Experience Lessons from the Cost of Bread in a Neighborhood Pub

Last night, my wife and I met some friends in our favorite neighborhood pub. We go there because we like the atmosphere, the patrons, the owners, and the reasonbly-priced food.  But something happened last night that changed the experience...

I ordered some black bean soup, to go with my Frye's Leap India Pale Ale.  I enjoyed the soup, so I ordered a second bowl; and I also asked for some bread with the second bowl, which was as good as the first!

But when the check arrived, I noticed that I was charged $2.00 for those two slices of Italian bread.

When I go out to eat, I'm used to receiving bread with the meal  - at no additional charge.  Sure, it was only $2.00, but being charged separately for the bread caused me to feel less like an appreciated neighbor, and more like the other end of a faceless commercial transaction.

I realize bread isn't free, and that someone has to pay for it.  But how that's managed definitely has an impact on the customer experience.  Let's look at the four options that avaialble the owners of the pub; these same options can be applied to "incidentals" in most businesses:

1. Charge the customer for the bread, and itemize it on the bill.
This is what  I experienced.  Pro:  it's pure transparency; nothing is being "hidden" from the customer.  Con: it can cause the customer to feel underappreciated; less like a neighbor, and more like a transaction.

2. Charge the customer for the bread, but don't itemize it on the bill.
The owners could have chosen to increase the pricing slightly on each bowl of the soup, to cover the cost of the bread.  Pro: The owners stay whole on managing  their costs so my favorite pub can stay in business, and I continue to feel like an appreciated neighbor.

3. Dont' charge the customer for the bread, but do itemize it on the bill.
The owners could have added a line to the bill show the bread at a cost of $0.00, or "n/c."  Pro: I'd feel appreciated; I've receiving sometihng at no charge.  Con: This may appear cheezy; and if done too often, the owners may have to close shop, and I'd have to find another favorite put.

4. Don't charge the customer for the bread, and don't itemize it on the bill.
The owners could have simply served the bread as requested, without charing me in any way.  Pro: I'm not left feeling like a faceless transaction, and my positive experience stays in tact.  Con: I may not realize that I'm receiving a neighborly "gift" of bread, and hence, my experience doesn't improve.

Here's the point:

For those "to-charge-or-not-to-charge" items, as a business owner, manager or customer-facing employee, you have some options.  And the option that you select can have a definite impact on the customer experience.  Before deciding if and how to bill your customer for incidentals, look at each option through the eyes of the customer, and do what will best impact the experience.  Because everything counts.

Awkward Customer Survey Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them.

Companies use customer satisfaction surveys as a tool to improve the customer experience.  That said, the survey process intself needs to be a positive experience for the customer, by being simple, easy to complete, and requiring very little of the customer's time. 

Unfortunately, many companies seem to overlook this point and instead, make the survey process painfully awkward, leaving the customer with a feeling of wanting to bail out of the conversation, if not the relationship.

Last week, I stayed at the Hotel Sax in Chicago for three days.  I enjoyed the stay, and felt that the staff was exemplary.  That's why I was little surprised with the survey that I later received...

24 hours after checking out of the hotel, I  received a personalized email from the hotel, greeting me by name.  Clearly, the Hotel Sax knew my email address, my name, and knew exactly when I stayed with them.  That's why I was unpleasantly surprised when I began the survey...

The first question:   What's your first name?

The second question:  What's your last name?

The third question:  What's your email address?

The fourth question:  When did you stay with us?

When I stay with you for three days, and you greet me by name both in person, and again by email, how do you think it makes me feel when you ask me for my name and email again, just two clicks later?!  I thought you knew me?  I thought I was a valued customer?!

Point #1:

Never ask your customer for information that they already gave you, or that they know you either have, or can easily obtain.  This may mean iinvesting more resources in appending the survey response data with customer information, or integrating your survey software with you data from your CRM or billing system.   Either investment is worth it, because it makes you look better, by showing your knowledge of the customer.  Besides, customers expect it.

Point #2:

Respect your customers' time by being efficient with the questions you ask on a survey.  The fewer question, the better.  Since you're limiting the number of questions you'll ask, it's important that you make each question matter, by eliciting information that can only be gotten from the customer.

 

If you're going to survey your customers as a means to help you  serve them better, be sure that your surveys reflect that, by asking a limited number of questions that will elicit information that can only be obtained from the customer.  And never, ever, ask the customer somethign that you both know you already know!

What surveys have you received that reflected a sincerity?

How many questions were there?

A CRM Lesson from the Public Sector: Replace Hasssle Factors with Convenience Factors.

If you own a motor vehicle, in most states in the US,  you're required to register the vehicle each year.  That means going to your city hall, waiting in line, producing some paperwork, and handing over money.  Or, doing it all  on-line.

But the real hassle for  most people is simply remembering to do it.

That's why  I was glad to see the post card that I  received in the mail this  week, from  the State of Maine.

The State of Maine sent me a clear and simple reminder to register my vehicle before the end of the month.

As consumers, we frequently run into "fees" with our banks, creditors, and other institutions that seem to invent ways to generate revenue from the human inclination to forget.  That's why I found it so refreshing to receive this reminder from an organization that isn't competing for my businesses.  they're simply helping me out.

So, what's the point here? 

Replace "Hassle Factors" with "Convenience Factors" by following 3 simple steps:

1. Find out from your customers what the "hassle  factors" are in doing business with you. 
2. Create a simple way of eliminating, or reducing that "hassle factor."
3. Implement it.

If the State  Department of Motor Vehicles  can find a way to  make their customers' lives easier, so  can you!

What convenience factors have you experienced as a customer?

The reason why you shouldn't skip steps along the customer journey

You can't skip steps along the customer journey. 

About a year ago, my  wife and I hired a company to clean the upholstery on some furniture.  After  the cleaning, we never heard a word from the company... until now... one year later.

A post card arrived in the mail, reminding us that it was time to clean our upholstery again, and encouraging us to "call them soon."  We weren't particularly happy with the job that the company did, but like so many consumers, we never took the initiative to tell them about it.  And like so many companies, they never took the step to ask us.

But they were certainly sure to ask for our business again, a year later.

A customer journey is a series of steps.  And each of  those steps should lead toward a destination that's beneficial for the seller and the buyer.  But along the journey, you can't skip steps.

That's what the upholstery cleaning company did - they skipped the all-important step of asking the customer how they did; did they exceed the customer's expectations; did they deliver the goods, as far as the customer was concerned.  If not, why not?  What should they have done better?  How can they make it right, to immediately raise that level of customer delight?

Asking for customer feedback is a critical step along the customer journey, because it accomplishes three important things:

1. It tells you what you need to continue doing, and do more of.
2. It tells you what you need to stop doing, or do less of.
3. It tellls the customer that you care, and makes a deposit into the "emotional bank account."

Asking for feedback is just one step among many, along the customer journey.  Each of the steps has a specific purpose in getting you to your destination.  

The key point is this:  

Map out the journey, and identify each of the steps along the way, understand the purpose of each step, and be sure to hit every one, with each customer.

When you skip steps along the journey, you're in danger of ending up at the wrong destination.

What customer journies have you been on lately, where a step was skipped?  What effect did it have on the outcome?

 

 

The secret that some companies have discovered to win more customers

A few years ago, I wanted to have my house painted.  I called three diffferent companies for estimates,  and had the opportunity to observe how three different companies sold essentially the same product:  a professionally-painted home.

Each company came well-recommended, and I was confident that I would be happy with the work of any one of the three.  But the one that I ended up hiring was the one that required the least amount of effort for me to hire.

They made it easy for me to become a customer.

The more effort that a prospect must invest to become a customer, the less likely that  prospect is to become a customer.  Let's look at one company that has experienced exponential growth, in part by making it easy for their prospects to become customers:

Salesforce.com

For years, SAP and Oracle  were the market leaders in CRM software.  Until Salesforce came along and made it much easier to become a customer by eliminating many of the traditional barriers to buying and using software:

1. Enduring lengthy sales cycles aggressive software sales reps.
2. Handing over large amounts of cash to buy software licenses.
3. Buying and configuring computer hardware.
4. Installing the software on the hardware.
5. Configuring and customizing the software.
6. Using the software.

Traditional software vendors required the customer to leap five hurdles before arriving at their desired destination. 

Remove the hurdles to buying, and  you're  making it easier for the customer to get to the point of being a customer, and using your product.  That's exactly what Saleforce did - they removed those first five steps, and  in so doing, became the fastest company in history to reach 1 billion dollars in revenue.

So, ask yourself the following four questions:

1. How many steps does your company require a prospect to go through in order to become a customer? 
2. Which steps can you eliminate, by making some creative changes? 
3. Which ones can you "hide" so that the prospect doesn't have to endure them?
4. Which steps can be combined, to reduce the prospects' perceived pain? 

What companies have you bought from, because they made it easy?

 

Do you love your customers? Then tell them about it!

The 1983 song by Billy Joel offered the following wisdom:

 

Tell her about it
Tell her everything you feel
Give her every reason to accept
That you're for real

Tell her about it
Tell her all your crazy dreams
Let her know you need her
Let her know how much she means

Listen boy
It's not automatically a certain guarantee
To insure yourself
You've got to provide communication constantly.

 

This past Saturday, I had my hair cut at the same local SuperCuts shop that I went to a month ago. When I sat in the chair, the woman asked me, "Would you like me to cust your hair the same way that we cut it when you were on April 1st?"

 

Often not able to recall what I  had for breakfast the previous day, I was intrigued by the question.  "How DID I have it cut on April 1?"

 

The woman told me every relevant detail.  In fact, the  way  she described it to me, it was clear that someone was paying attention; someone focused on me in a way that made me feel I was their most important customer.  And she wanted to tell me about it.

 

Supercuts captures and manages data on each customer and their preferrences, as do many businesses in many industries.  We have the capability to use the data to segment customer populations, and personalize offers. 

 

But how often do we actually articulate that personalization?  Do we let the technology drive the relationaship, or do we find and create opportunities for humans to drive the relationship, supported by the technology?  Human words posess a power that technology cannot.

 

It's true that actions often speak louder than words.  But when it comes to letting a customer know how much you care, nothing says that better than spoken words from the mouths of humans. 

 

If you love your customers, tell them about it. 

 

 

Great Customer Service is About Doing the Basics Well.

 

Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach once said:



Some people try to find things in this game that don't exist; but football is only two things - blocking and tackling."

 

In any endeavor, if you can identify the basics, and practice them to the point where you can execute them consistently well, you'll be successful.

 

This week, I called the Internal Revenue Service.  Just the idea of having to call the IRS conjures negative thoughts.  In fact, the call began just that way:  I navigated the phone menu correctly on just my second attempt.  Then I waited on hold for about five minutes.  Seven precious minutes invested, and no progress.

 

At this point, I felt myself taking on that irate customer posture - after all, it was my right as a citizen and a taxpayer.  By the eighth minute, I was completely caught off guard.  A live agent greeted me (we'll call him Bob), and after a couple quick questions to verify that I was who I said I was, Bob got right down to business.  His demeanor was calm and slightly upbeat, and he really seemed to care.  Bob showed empathy.

 

I explained why I was calling, and Bob listened.  He carefully repeated what I told him, then asked me to hold; he said he'd be back in under three minutes.  Bob was back on the line after two minutes and 30 seconds.  (Yes, I timed him.)  Bob set clear expectations, and lived up to them.

 

When Bob returned, he had a solution.  He explained it clearly, and with conviction.  I believed  Bob.  His confidence became my confidence.  I was glad I called, and felt  good about the solution.  Bob showed confidence.

 

An experience that began with all the markings of something bad, actually turned out to be something good - a very positive customer experience.  And the fact that this happened with the IRS made it even more impressive.

 

The things that Bob did so well were the basics of customer service:

1. He showed empathy.
   Bob came across as a human - a human who cared.  Empathy at the start of a call can set the stage for a successful call.  Always begin with empathy.
   
2.  He made a point to earn my trust.
   Bob listened to me.  And to prove that he listened, he repeated back what I told him.  That gave me confidence in Bob.  Always earn your customer's trust by listening carefully, and repeating back what the customer told you.
3. He found the right solution.  
   Bob didn't immediately know the answer, so he consulted with a colleague to find the right answer - and in the process, he told me exactly what he'd be doing, and how long it would take. Bob was transparent.  And that increased my trust in Bob.

Customer service is never an easy business, particularly when it's delivered over the telephone, and especially when your customers expect a bad experience.  But when an agent focuses on the basics, and executes them well, the chances for a positive customer experience increase dramatically.

 

Think of some of your best customer service experiences.  What made them great?

 

For an Innovative Customer Experience, Think Outside the Product.

When companies talk about innovation, they're usually talking about creating new products, or product features.  But with products becoming more easily commoditized, any competitive advantage gained through product  innovation is likely to be short-lived.  If you want innovation to last, think outside the product.

 

There's usually plenty of opportunity to differentiate, if think about what your customers do before, during and after the use of the product.  Look for common "areas of pain" that customer endure during the product use cycle, and you'll find areas that are ripe for innovation.

 

Here are a few examples:

 

Cable Television Service
My cable TV provider touts their vast selection of programming; innovation for them means creating new programming packages, which leads to more options for the customer. 

 

I don't get excited by new programming options; or the ability to record two shows, while watching a third.  

 

Things that excite me would be remotes with fewer than 63 buttons, and a monthly statement that's designed for me, instead of the cable company's accounting department.

 

Financial Services
I don't care about new investment products; what I would like to see is a monthly statement that tells me what I need to know, but in far fewer than twelve pages.  And a prospectus that's written for a lay person.  (If I wanted was comfortable reading the average prospectus,  I probably wouldn't need someone else to manage my investments.)

 

Oil Change Service
The place where  I get my oil changed recently began offering an optional synthetic oil product.  That's great, but if they want to really excite me, they'll pick my car up, change the oil, and bring the car back to me when done. 

 

My challenge is finding the time to get the car to them; not finding synthetic motor oil.

 

As customers, we all have lots of problems outside of the product.   If you want to give us a truly great experience, create solutions to those problems.  Innovate outside of the product.

What are some of the common challenges that you face, that can be solved through a change outside the  product?

3 Key Considerations Before Using Your Brand in a 3rd-party Promotion

Third party promotions can be risky - even when your only investment is your name and your customer list.  Last week, my wife and I each received a postcard from Delta Airlines.  (I say the postcard came from Delta, because the Delta name and the Delta logo were the only names an logos on either side of the cards.)

 

The following message appeared on the back of the card:

 

"In celebration of our new year packages we've selected you to received 2 round trip airfares to anywhere in the contiguos United States - good for the next 12 months!

 

Call within 48 hours and receive a 3 day 2 night stay at major brands."



(Hey Delta, I trusted you!)

 

I've flown more on Delta over the past few years, and have noticed a steady improvement in the service and experience that I receive.  As a result, I trust Delta more.  That's why this promotion seems so out of character, and causes me to wonder if I'm starting to trust them too much.

 

If you partner with a third party, and especially when you loan them your brand, there are at least three important points to consider:

 

1. Know your partner.  
   Is it a company that shares and practices your cultural values?  Is transparency one of those?
   
2. Know how your name will be used.
   Understand the full message and process that will surround the use of your name.  And be sure to view it with customer empathy.
   
3. Their experience will be your experience.
   Understand that your customer may see the experience delivered by the third party as another experience delivered by you.



In business, your reputation is your soul.  Be careful who you loan it to.

It shouldn't be hard to be a customer.  But too often, it is.

 

Think of the last time you signed up for cell phone service.  Or a credit card.  Or  assembled a child's toy.

 

As customers, we've been subject to 27-page contracts in 6 point font that may as well have been written in Latin.  Or multi-page assembly instructions written by an engineer.  Too many companies make it too hard to be a customer, and that's unfortunate.  Unfortunate for the customer, and the company.

 

When things are complex,  decisions are harder, and  take more time.  That's stressful for the customer, and expensive for the company.  Longer sales cycles and support calls mean a higher costs, and lower profit margins.  When things are complex, nobody wins.

 

But when things are easy, customers find it easier to make buying decisions. That's less stressful for the customer, and more profitable for the company.  

 

So, what are three things a company can do, to make life simpler for the customer?

 

1) Clarify your value proposition.

The simpler your value proposition sounds, the easier it is for your customers to understand, remember and repeat.  If you can't express what you can do for the customer in two or three simple sentences that a child can understand, your value proposition is probably too  complex.  (And it's probably too hard for most of your sales people to remember!)

 

To simplify and clarify it, try the following: Eliminate jargon, and express it in shorter sentences.   Revise your marketing literature so that it's simpler, and shorter too.  The easier it is for customers to read and understand, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision.

 

2) Simplify the paperwork.

How simple are your forms and contracts?  Can a customer  complete an order in few quick keystrokes, or does it require scrolling through multiple pages?  Does the contract read like it was written by an attorney, or an articulate, plain-spoken person?  

 

Alan Siegel, co-author of "Simple - Conquering the crisis of complexity" tells how he once re-wrote a client's bank loan agreement from several pages, to three sentences (and it was ultimately approved by the bank's legal department!).   Yes, even legal documents can be simplified!

 

How about users' documentation?  Is it written in plain english with clear visuals to guide the customer? Does it use other tools like QR codes to link the customer directly to engaging video content? What can you  do to simplify your user documentation, to create a simpler and experience for the customer?

 

3) Simplify personal communication.

A big part of any customer experience is the in-person, telephone and email conversations that customers have with your sales, product delivery and service & support teams.   Do your customer-facing employees speak in plain English, or do they use "company terminology" when speaking with customers?  

 

Just as it's important to eliminate jargon from published documents, it's equally (if not more) important to eliminate it from one-to-one communication with customers.  Customers should not have to invest mental energy to undestand what you're saying.  They should be able to simply understand and act.

 

Somebody once said, "I'd have written you a shorter letter if I had more time."  

 

It may take more time to simplify communication with customers, but the time you  invest in making it easier for  the customer, is more capital that the customer will invest to do business with you.

One Simple Secret for Winning more Loyal Customers

It shouldn't be hard to be a customer.  But too often, it is.

 

Think of the last time you signed up for cell phone service.  Or a credit card.  Or  assembled a child's toy.

 

As customers, we've been subject to 27-page contracts in 6 point font that may as well have been written in Latin.  Or multi-page assembly instructions written by an engineer.  Too many companies make it too hard to be a customer, and that's unfortunate.  Unfortunate for the customer, and the company.

 

When things are complex,  decisions are harder, and  take more time.  That's stressful for the customer, and expensive for the company.  Longer sales cycles and support calls mean a higher costs, and lower profit margins.  When things are complex, nobody wins.

 

But when things are easy, customers find it easier to make buying decisions. That's less stressful for the customer, and more profitable for the company.  

 

So, what are three things a company can do, to make life simpler for the customer?

 

1) Clarify your value proposition.

The simpler your value proposition sounds, the easier it is for your customers to understand, remember and repeat.  If you can't express what you can do for the customer in two or three simple sentences that a child can understand, your value proposition is probably too  complex.  (And it's probably too hard for most of your sales people to remember!)

 

To simplify and clarify it, try the following: Eliminate jargon, and express it in shorter sentences.   Revise your marketing literature so that it's simpler, and shorter too.  The easier it is for customers to read and understand, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision.

 

2) Simplify the paperwork.

How simple are your forms and contracts?  Can a customer  complete an order in few quick keystrokes, or does it require scrolling through multiple pages?  Does the contract read like it was written by an attorney, or an articulate, plain-spoken person?  

 

Alan Siegel, co-author of "Simple - Conquering the crisis of complexity" tells how he once re-wrote a client's bank loan agreement from several pages, to three sentences (and it was ultimately approved by the bank's legal department!).   Yes, even legal documents can be simplified!

 

How about users' documentation?  Is it written in plain english with clear visuals to guide the customer? Does it use other tools like QR codes to link the customer directly to engaging video content? What can you  do to simplify your user documentation, to create a simpler and experience for the customer?

 

3) Simplify personal communication.

A big part of any customer experience is the in-person, telephone and email conversations that customers have with your sales, product delivery and service & support teams.   Do your customer-facing employees speak in plain English, or do they use "company terminology" when speaking with customers?  

 

Just as it's important to eliminate jargon from published documents, it's equally (if not more) important to eliminate it from one-to-one communication with customers.  Customers should not have to invest mental energy to undestand what you're saying.  They should be able to simply understand and act.

 

Somebody once said, "I'd have written you a shorter letter if I had more time."  

 

It may take more time to simplify communication with customers, but the time you  invest in making it easier for  the customer, is more capital that the customer will invest to do business with you.