We all know and love Dora the Explorer. A brave young girl constantly in search of new experiences. Her journeys aren’t without challenges and threats, but she always manages to reach her destination. What’s her secret?
Great customer experiences don’t happen by accident. Modern businesses must be the map for their customer – understanding the journey they’re on and designing the best way to guide them at each step.
Like most great journeys there should be a start and end point – but it should also be a journey that keeps you coming back.
Once they know who you are, you still need to convince them that there’s no one else who can do what you do. Again, this is partly to do with channels – where are they researching? What do they want to know? Do you have enough information available to convince them to choose your brand?
We’ve all had those conveyor belt experiences, being passed from one department to another and feeling like we’re a piece of luggage no one wants to own. Designing a customer-centred approach takes empathy and understanding – it’s about putting yourself in their shoes and seeing how it would make you feel.
The easiest way to wow clients and create a memorable experience is to understand potential pain points and turn them into wow moments. Air New Zealand famously followed customers throughout their flights, then designed a new seamless process based on removing any frustrating moments from check-in to arrival.
If customers want to join brands, how do we move from transactional to lasting relationships? The most common oversight by brands is after-sales service. Checking in on a customer at the end of their journey will let them know you care about their ongoing needs and that their satisfaction is important to you. It’s also a chance to rectify any issues or concerns and get a positive review or referral.
