In a tech-savvy world where competition is but a Google search away, success is all about the customer experience and the interaction consumers have with a brand.
This relationship extends from how a client initially “meets” an enterprise all the way through to the products they offer, the service provided, and the ongoing attention they receive from a business.
At its heart, the customer experience involves not just meeting but exceeding consumer’s expectations. So, let’s investigate further how understanding and honing your customer’s experience affects every area of your brand.
The customer experience
Defined as “the product of an interaction between an organisation and a customer over the duration of their relationship”, the customer experience is often broken down into three key elements:
- the customer journey,
- the brand touchpoints the customer interacts with,
- and the environments the customer experiences during their experience.
Or as Harvard Business Review explains the customer experience…”is the sum-totality of how customers engage with your company and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer”.
The customer journey
From the moment a consumer seeks out a business, the customer journey is at play.
It encapsulates how people discover a brand (marketing, websites, advertising), the interaction they receive when they make contact (customer service), the environment of the business (premises, staff and service), and the quality and/or value of the products/services the business offers.
Each of these is a touchpoint where business has the potential to meet, exceed or fail to live up to the expectations of the consumer. And each touchpoint will affect whether a consumer continues their journey with a brand.
The chicken, the egg and touchpoints
Many businesses look to shape their journey through marketing, PR and a digital presence, but long before you look to advertising, a business should investigate the existing relationship and service they offer a consumer.
Analyse all the interactions your company has directly or indirectly with your customers including all communication pre and post-sale.
Map out each of the touch points your customers have with your brand. How would your customers rate each touch point out of 10? What could you do to improve each touch point?
Exceeding expectations
Customers have expectations before doing any business with you, if you are only meeting their expectations then you aren’t really impressing them.
If you would like to wow a customer, have a customer feel compelled to leave a review on Google or Facebook or tell their friends/family about their interaction with your brand, you are going to need to surprise them by exceeding their expectations.
Provide them with something extra they weren’t expecting. Find a way you can bring them value or help them. Remember that it needs to take them by surprise. This is a great start to create a human connection between your brand and your customers as they will know that someone has intentionally went out of their way to delight the customer.
About Openseed
At Openseed we shape the customer journey through intuitive business websites and content that are designed to wow the customer and exceed their expectations from the outset.
We get to the heart of your business message to help your business rank foremost on Google and at the front of your consumer’s mind. You can learn more about our services here or contact us directly to learn more about how we can help.
