Optimizing the Customer Experience Doing things that drive Loyalty Craig Cochran
What is the Customer Experience? The sum of all conscious events that take place during a transaction, including: • • • • •
Research Prospecting Quoting Scheduling Product or service provision
• • • • •
Consumption Follow-up Billing Maintenance Problem resolution
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We value experiences now more than ever Experiences that were once thought to be “exotic and exclusive� are now widely enjoyed. Customers have grown to expect a special experience.
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Your challenge: create an experience that results in LOYALTY • What experiences produce loyalty? • What experiences don’t?
One more question: Is LOYALTY the same as SATISFACTION? 4
Loyalty experiences: • Personalization • Anticipating needs • Encouraging communication • Understanding the customer’s process • Empathizing with the customer • Fast problem resolution • Consistent branding • Leadership who model the right behaviors 5
Smart companies BRAND the customer experience
Take the mundane and make it special
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Principles of great brands • Unique brand “promise” that has appeal • Singular visual identity • Communicating consistently, inside and outside • Aligning all processes with the brand promise – and delivering the promise • Measuring success over the long term, with brand value in forefront
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Mobil: An early branding leader • Specific fonts • Colors • Graphic elements • Logo • Style that is immediately recognizable • The brand builds confidence
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The Brand Promise • Specific and unique value proposition • Promise made to target customers • Owned and modeled by top management • Continually reinforced • Used as the starting point for developing processes and procedures • Validated by customer feedback
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AbilityOne Brand Promise
“High Quality Solutions for Federal Customers at a Fair Market Price�
Ritz Carlton Brand Promise
“Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.�
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FedEx’s Brand Promise: an evolution 1. Get packages where they are going by 10:30 am the next day, no ifs, ands, or buts 2. When it Absolutely, Positively has to be there overnight 3. Peace of mind
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Target customers • Most profitable over the long term • Focused on quality…at a fair price • Compelled to be your advocate • Long term relationship • Brand promised is directed at them 13
Making the promise come to life • Communicating and explaining it • Building systems around it • Training and practice on behaviors that enable it • Empowering people to take independent actions to support it
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Connection to strategy
Business Strategy
Perfect Alignment
Brand Strategy
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Map the customer experience 1. First impressions 2. Interactions with employees 3. Clarification of requirements 4. Performance of service 5. Feedback and thanks 6. Improve process based on feedback
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Formula for disaster: Win versus do
“We say certain things to get the WIN. We’ll worry about what to DO later.”
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The total connection Identify target customer
Create brand promise
Align all processes with promise
Customer Loyalty Higher profits 18
Keys to the customer experience • • • • • •
On time Personalized Hiring the right people Use of positive language First and last impressions Constantly hungering for customer feedback • Leaders who LEAD the effort
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On-time product – Be FAST! • Late is nonconforming • Customer expectations are for ever-more timely service • Find and remove delays throughout your process • Communicate openly when there are problems
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Company name removed to protect the Guilty
WOW!
8 Types of Wastes
Overproduction Defects - Rework or Scrap Inventory Waiting of parts / people / machines/ paperwork Transportation of parts, people, paper Extra Processing Motion of people, machines Unused employee ideas
Hint: D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E Defects Overproduction Waiting Not Using Ideas Transportation Inventory Motion Extra Processing
Learn to see these wastes in your workplace.
Do you have any PERSONALITY? • Emphasize the human touch in every transaction • Remember people’s names and preferences • Encourage dialogue and feedback • Try to insert small, positive surprises
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Hire the right people • Your people ARE your company • If you can’t find the right person, don’t settle • Not everyone can deliver on your brand promise • Invest in training and development
At your service!
• Ask for their suggestions and improvement ideas 25
Fundamentals of suggestion systems: • Provide a means for personnel to propose improvements; • Keep supervisors involved; • Evaluate the inputs; • Implement the ideas that are practical; • Acknowledge all inputs and keep personnel updated.
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Suggestion card - Front
Suggestion card - Back
Suggestion systems can become a negative… Don’t even consider implementing one if you’re not willing to make the daily investment in its operation.
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Use the language of success • Your brand has a certain vocabulary • Rehearse the messages • Believe the message • Destroy words and phrases that put off the customer • Always validate the ability to deliver on the message
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First and Last Impressions • The start and end are what is remembered the most • Always end on a high note • Engineer the interaction • Live the experience to see how customers feel
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Constantly hungering for customer feedback • • • •
Keep it simple Ask for actionable feedback Act fast and share the info Recognize it’s a leading indicator • Put the results in front of top management • Capture feedback, make improvements, build your BRAND
Comment card 1 - Front
Comment card 1 - Back
Comment card 2 - Front
Comment card 2 - Back
Where do LEADERS fit in? • Intimately know the work required to meet promise • Listen and understand external feedback • Listen and understand internal feedback • Lead improvement actions • They WALK THE TALK
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Character:
The set of inner qualities that guide and motivate the leader.
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Example organization vision TrainingExcellence.org Vision Statement Our vision is to be the most respected E-learning resource in the world. We will: • • • •
Treat every customer like a V.I.P. Continually develop new content Never compromise quality for quantity Provide knowledge and learning that adds value to people’s lives 39
Leadership = Responsibility
No greater responsibility exists than leading others
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Recognition: The leader’s key to driving customer focus
Because you can’t do it all yourself
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Make sure recognition is… • Non-monetary • Available to anyone • Prompted by actions that support your brand • Not tied to rigid timeframe • Only as formal as necessary
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Recognition card - Front
Recognition card - Back
Humility:
The leader’s recognition that he doesn’t know everything and can make mistakes
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Personal values • Enduring beliefs • Your guides to action • Issues you won’t compromise • The customer experience must be featured
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Don’t miss this Course! “Attaining Customer Loyalty” September 13-14, 2011 Las Vegas, NV • Fun, interactive, and practical • Offered at NO COST to NISH affiliate organizations • Register: https://www.nishacademy.org or contact Cora Chaply at: 571-226-4534
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For more information:
Presenter: Craig Cochran 678-699-1690 craig.cochran@innovate.gatech.edu
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Smart and Practical Books
www.patonprofessional.com
Discussion & Questions
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Session Evaluation Information
SESSION TITLE: Experience SESSION CODE: Q-T300