When it comes to improve the customer experience of a service, a substantial improvement can be achieved by carefully designing the frontend process.
One of the most important aspects to work on is the communication with the customer.
A prompt and accurate communication can be the rug under which to sweep mild inefficiencies.
I wish I could provide you with an extensive case analysis, backed with loads of data. But I’m no expert on this, and I speak solely as a result of personal experience as an “educated customer”.
Two examples:
A couple of days ago I decided to send some flowers from a web shop (super famous worldwide flower shipping brand).
I chose the flowers, I wrote the card, I entered the recipient details and I proceeded with the checkout, entering my credit card information. During the whole process a button on the top of the page offered live chat assistance.
So far, so good.
I confirmed the order, and I was taken to a page, with an error that lamented the lack of sender and recipient data, with a summary of the data that was actually empty. A click on the “back” button and my session was terminated.
I hit the assistance button. I waited for a sales rep for maybe five seconds.
I explained my problem, and then…I received NO answer for the following FIVE minutes.
In the meantime I got a PDF receipt in my email, with the correct addresses.
After five minutes the operator confirmed that my order got through OK.
A minor issue had become a (light) source of “stress” for me, because I was left without feedback from an assistance service that is supposed to be “real time”.
Totally different situation:
I took a train a couple of hours later.
Trains in Italy, as I guess in most of the world except Japan, are a synonym of inefficiency.
So, there we were, travelers and commuters on the platform waiting for a train.
Since Milano is final destination for that line, the train arrives full, and has to be readied for the trip in the opposite direction.
A commuter asked the station employee waiting for the train if the delay in the arrival would have had an impact on the departure time.
“Yes,” he answered “the train is 5 minutes late, but *I’ll do my best* to have the cleaning squad working inside the train while I do the routine brakes check to save time and make an attempt to leave on time”
The train left the station five minutes late, but the presence of the station employee and his description of the tasks he was in charge of in order to minimize the problem had a very good impact on my perception of the service.
Bottom line: bring customers into the loop. Tell them how long they are supposed to be waiting, the status of their work in progress, what are you doing to make things work. The payback is subtle, but substantial.
Stay tuned, more to come.