How do you connect across all of your customer experience channels or touch points?
As time permits I try to fit in as many Webinars about customer experience as I can. Yesterday there was an interesting one that didn’t quite deliver on its title “The Biggest Customer Experience Challenge: Escaping the Past” – I’m not sure what I was expecting . . . . but it still delivered some good information. As a customer experience practitioner in the B2B space I always find it interesting to see what’s going on in the B2C customer experience realm, how much of it is relevant to B2B, and what are some of the issues as well as new trends.
While the tools of social media are definitely beginning to play in the B2B space, it may be awhile yet before we hear of anyone buying a high-speed inkjet press using their smartphone or device. I still believe that most of our customers like to come and experience what their potentially large capital investment is going to buy them and they would like to make that judgment with their own two eyes, watching their files run on the press and literally kick the tires. I suspect that in the B2C world there are those out there buying diamond rings and other high-end ticket items by way of smartphones or other devices, but that won’t be me any time soon.
So how do companies ensure that their customer touch points are consistent across all of their channels?
I have a personal example that helps demonstrate how a lot of companies struggle with this consistency. Many reading this probably saw a tremendous marketing push by the company Shari’s Berries before Mother’s Day. The inviting commercials on TV showing the delicious chocolate-covered fruits and treats with recorded testimonials by folks who we believe, and could very well be actual customers who have ordered the products. I also received several offers through email and social media inviting me to send some of these delectable to my loved ones.
So far so good, all the offers and messaging was consistent. In addition to some low introductory offer pricing, I was also enticed with a free shipping offer, so I bit, literally. It wasn’t until after I ordered and I realized that the dollars were significantly more than what I had planned to spend did it dawn on me that I had been charged for shipping! Before I could even fire off an email or cancel my order I received an email from Shari’s Berries apologizing for having to charge for shipping to ensure that the product would arrive in good shape and in my case, not melted.
Now I’m sure that the company is well aware which of their products require quick transport and those that have a little more leeway, so why not have set those expectations correctly with me when I ordered? To receive a “We Have Some Explaining to Do. Free Shipping . . . .” and some extra 20% off discount coupons is not going to make me want to do business with this company any time soon. There are even bigger disconnects between the different channels Shari’s Berries is using for survey, after survey. It’s very obvious that there are too many groups within the company surveying and no one is talking to each other or using a CRM system that lets them know that I have already been surveyed.
So as you look to connect your customer experience and touch points across your organization from marketing, sales, purchase channels and social media, make sure it’s a way to earn your customers trust and keep it so they will be loyal, and continue to buy as well as evangelize about your products and services. Otherwise, like in this case with Shari’s Berries, there’s always the “unsubscribe” option at the bottom of the page . . . .
