Allowing cell phones in movie theaters was unheard of just a year ago but is now being considered by a major theater chain. Why? Customers and customer expectations are changing. So, what do my customers want? Business owners should be continuously asking themselves that question. Research has found that 80% of businesses believe they are providing superior customer service, while only 8% of their customers agree. That is a significant disconnect! I think this disconnect can be a result of the lack of understanding of the customer journey, the total sum of experiences that customers go through when interacting with...
Several recent interactions with businesses have left me wondering if they care about about their customers. In one interaction, I called to arrange to have my deck refinished. I got a recorded message that they were busy with other customers, leave a message, and they would get back to me. It’s been a week and they have not called me back. In a second interaction, I called to check into my current pest control service and was 12th in the queue. I hung up, found their web form and sent my questions. It has been 2 weeks and no one...
We just returned from the ACTE Global Corporate Travel Conference in Dallas! As we continue to think about the conference, we can’t help but think…WOW! It was truly a great experience from start to finish! The conference focused on key trends in the business travel industry including our favorite, Traveler Centricity. There were over 700 attendees from around the world onsite as well as online attendees who were treated to impressive speakers from throughout the travel industry. Two that were especially interesting to us included Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines and Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines. Their candid...
Customers expect the businesses to offer easy customer service channels. They want questions answered and issues resolved easily at any point in their journey with a business. Too many customers become frustrated with cumbersome channels such as web forms, emails, and automated phone attendants; they’re difficult to find, hard to use on their mobile phone, and these methods take too much valuable time to utilize. 91% of customers are frustrated when they must contact a company multiple times for one issue. 89% of customers are frustrated by repeating their issue to multiple representatives. 90% of customers are frustrated when put...
There’s no getting around it, bad customer experiences happen. How you handle customer issues have a huge impact on your business. Recently, I had a bad experience that made me think about actions businesses can take when things go wrong. I had a reservation at a high-end steak house for a family celebration. Upon arrival, the hostess told us that they didn’t have a table available. I asked why, and was told it was because they were busy. Which is, of course, the point of the reservation! We waited 40 minutes before giving up. We left hungry and angry without...
I like businesses that give me personal service and that little extra attention. I am willing to pay more at those businesses and I become a very loyal customer. Recently, I visited my local hardware store where I get that personal attention and service. With a little assistance, I got the supplies I needed and I headed to the checkout lane. I exchanged a few comments with the sales clerk, picked up my items and said, “Thank You” to which the sales clerk responded, “No Problem.” His response caught my attention. Of course it wasn’t a problem. “No problem” sounds...
When you walk into a high-end retail store like Nordstrom, you expect to be treated to one-on-one service. When you make your way to the grocery store to pick up your weekly necessities, you may be used to a different experience, dealing with some minor issues during your trip. When stores like your neighborhood Kroger can take those minor issues and create a positive, one-on-one experience, they’re sure to make a customer for life. Let me tell you about the Nordstrom-quality experience I had recently at Kroger. Minor issue at hand: I can’t find my beloved thin pretzel crisps! Every...
Are you ready for 2016? If you’re like most business owners, you reviewed last year’s goals and set new ones for the coming year. When you defined those goals, did you include customer experience? I believe that customer experience should be integrated into all aspects of business. Customers are the only reason your business exists. Customer experience goals don’t have to be costly to have big returns for your business. If you have just a 5% increase in customer retention, you can increase profitability by 75%! Improving customer experience begins with information and data. Begin by stepping back to take...
The New Year is upon us, and 2016 brings new expectations for businesses. Forrester Research, a leader in business research and consulting, has released predictions for the coming year. According to the company, 2016 will be an extremely important year for businesses across the globe, and one of extreme leadership change. Using technology to better understand and personalize service is a common theme. Below we’ve highlighted a few of their predictions and what they mean for your business. Customers expect personalized services. Today’s customer expects a business to understand them as an individual, and to anticipate and respond to their unique...
When it comes to serving customers, policies and procedures should be designed to guide employee actions.
