Customer experience, and why it really is a journey

We actually filmed it, thinking that we were about to open a packet and have a cooked mouse or something similar come out. The anticipation was there, but it ended up being a whole potato – go figure!

In contrast, now think about your best customer service experience. For me, it was a sales assistant at Max who made shopping super easy. She knew my name, remembered my preferences, and always pointed out new arrivals that suited me. Her attention to detail made me feel special and, needless to say, I would always buy a lot from her.

As business leaders, we can design our entire operation to consistently deliver this kind of positive experience. Frances Frei and Anne Morriss in Uncommon Service puts it best: “Excellence is not a single act, but a habit. It’s the cumulative effect of consistent, thoughtful actions that align with a clear strategy.”

Throughout life, we’ve created a number of habits. We brush our teeth each day, say goodbye when we leave the house, put our seat belt on in the car. These are now embedded habits for us and part of our daily rituals.

It’s our responsibility to ensure our customer experience strategy encapsulates rituals and habits that will cumulatively produce a consistent service for our clients, as opposed to a one stand-out staff member.

We also need to stop and think. How do our clients feel about us? And how do we know this?

When we get it wrong, the impact of bad service can be disastrous – just ask Blockbuster. Remember when we used to hire movies from a store, and the late fee you’d encounter if you’d forgot to return it by lunchtime? This service model really created a pain point for customers.

Or, still with Blockbuster, how their service model didn’t evolve, and they missed the opportunity to move to digital streaming? Fair to say Blockbuster didn’t check in with how clients were feeling and were not proactive in designing their customer experience.

What is customer experience?

Joey Coleman in Never Lose a Customer Again explains that customer experience must be:

• Proactive
• Integrated with the customer’s emotional and logical needs
• A perceptive, interactive journey designed to monitor and meet customer expectations consistently

 

Why do businesses need a proactive customer experience?

Coleman points out that “The first 100 days are the most important in the customer experience when considering retention and longevity.” Nearly 20-70% of new customers can be lost during this period if their experiences fail to address both logical and emotional needs effectively.

That’s right, logical and emotional needs.

Now, we’re not saying you need to be amazing at everything in the customer experience department. In fact, Frances Frei goes so far to say, “you can’t be good at everything” and that we need to choose what we will be bad at, in order to be great at what really matters.

Consider PAK’nSAVE, a familiar example here in New Zealand. Their promise of “everyday low prices” perfectly illustrates this principle. To achieve and maintain these low prices, PAK’nSAVE opts for a no-frills, warehouse-style shopping environment. You won’t find the sophisticated decor or the personal touch that some upscale supermarkets offer. Instead, they provide large trolleys and bulk buying options which appeal to customers prioritising budget over ambiance. This strategic trade-off allows PAK’nSAVE to attract and retain customers who value cost savings above all else.

It’s all about strategic trade-offs. Trying to excel at everything leads to mediocrity. We really need to decide what we’ll be bad at, in order to nail what we’ll be great at. And as clients, we are realistic. We know we cannot have the lowest prices and have a sophisticated store with personal shoppers!

 

Customer experience by design

As we move forward in designing customer experiences, remember, it’s not about avoiding mistakes entirely but about creating a system that responds effectively when things don’t go as planned. This approach helps in mitigating the risks associated with poor customer service but also strengthens customer trust and loyalty by demonstrating commitment to their satisfaction.

The real secret to creating a memorable customer experience is to embed it into the very fabric of your business, just like any other essential habit. By focusing on what truly matters to your customers and ensuring these elements are executed flawlessly, your business can stand out in a crowded marketplace.

More importantly, by understanding and addressing both the logical and emotional aspects of the customer journey, you can ensure that every interaction is not just a transaction but a stepping stone towards building lasting relationships.

As you reflect on this, ask yourself: What habits can we embed in our business today that will transform our customer service tomorrow? How can we make our service so impactful that it not only retains customers but turns them into advocates?

If you’re ready to redefine your customer experience and need a strategic partner to guide you, reach out. Let’s ensure your customer service isn’t just good, but legendary.