Delivering a Consistent Customer Experience

Viewpoint by Jennifer Dominiquini, Associate Partner

We all know the hard work it can take to convert awareness of your product or service offering into a loyal following. Brands that enjoy high degrees of loyalty deliver on their promises by guaranteeing a consistent overall “end to end” customer experience. This means that customers can expect to receive the levels of service and respect they deserve from the moment they consider your company, though the entire purchase, usage and post purchase process. The perceptions customers have of your brand are only as good as your weakest link. For example, if you are an e-commerce vendor that attracts customers with a highly navigable site, but your deliveries arrive late, or it is virtually impossible to easily upgrade or unsubscribe to a particular web-based service, chances are customers are going to be frustrated. The same is true if your patients get high quality care from the health care specialists at your hospital, only to become dismayed by the lack of attention the administrative staff pays to routine matters like check-in, scheduling an appointment and handling payments.

It is important to take care of components of the overall experience that conventional wisdom would say aren’t under your control. Virgin Airlines, for example, does this when it sends a limo to pick up business travelers up at home, so its customers don’t have to deal with the stress of driving themselves to the airport. Ask yourself, how are you creating an experience that your customers get what they expect, but at the same time includes some pleasant surprises to make the experience even more memorable and keep customers coming back for more?