Customers Want Consistency. Each and Every Time.

Transforming the Customer Experience

Consider for a moment why you as a buyer of products and services return to a business time after time. Did the business provide consistency and seem to ‘know you?”. Recently my wife and I ‘re-discovered’ an popular Italian restaurant on the recommendation of our 13 year grand-daugher. We had just went to see a popular children’s movie and asked where she wanted to eat dinner. She said that she liked Carrabba’s Grill and there was one near by in Mishawaka Indiana but I was hestant because I had previously had several inconsistent dinning experiences.

To make a long story short, I had the same dinner selection as my grand daughter who is a rather sophificated foodie at 13 years of age. The dinner was very tasty, all the items went well together and a very fine experience was to be remembered. Since that time my wife and I have revisited the restaurant the following two weeks and WOW, consistently tasty food and an enjoyable experience time and again.

86% of customer quit doing business….

Harris Interactive recently conducted their latest Customer Experience survey. They found 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience. This was an increase from 59% just four years ago. Apparently our new favorite Italian restaurant is bucking the trend.

So what can your business do to improve the customer experience and provide consistency?

The following is inspired by a article written by Kristina Evey in her Transforming the Customer Experience newsletter.

Consumer confidence increases when consistent results are produced. They will return to you again and again when you have not only built a solid relationship with them, but they are certain they can count on consistent results time after time.

Customer satisfaction increases based on consistency and relationships. Relationship, whether professional or personal, are built on the solid foundation of trust. This trust extends into a level of service that is depended upon. As in my family dining experience, I was depending on returning and again having a quality dining experience.

They want to know that what they see and feel one time is what they can count on in future interactions. Regardless if you are going into a chain restaurant, hiring a carpenter, working with a realtor, or working with a large boating distributor, customers want consistent quality products and services. Customers will be more likely to refer their associates to you when you have consistently shown a track record for results. My grand-daughter knew the dinner entree and sides she wanted because she was consistently getting a positive dinning experience from many previous years at a different location but the same brand name chain. She provided a strong referral and not a weak, “the food was pretty good.”

Relationships factor greatly into the consistency equation. The customer is looking to see if they are being treated well each and every time. They are looking to see if they are treated the same way by everyone in the organization. Customers will figure out quickly who will and won’t help them in a company. Your customer service reputation is only as strong as your weakest link. All associates in your company need to be delivering excellent customer services, in each and every interaction. We found consistency from the initial welcome by the receptionist, then each of the different waitresses and the servers who happily added extra cheese on our entrees at each dinning visit.

Review your core values regularly to determine that they are being considered in every interaction with your customers. The customer will recognize the consistently of exceeding their expectations while holding true to the core value your company has built upon.

Your customers will thank you for it!

What is your business doing to provide a postive customer experience that builds loyalty and referrals?