Build a Better Customer Experience

How we approach it at

Last Slide First

1. Connect with people on a human level – they want to hear from you.

2. Find the right tools to deliver the best experience, and implement them.

3. Keep doing it.

I am not anExpert.

1. I interact with customers every day.

2. I’ve built and fixed policies, procedures, and customer-facing content for big and small companies.

3. I’m trying to get better at this every day.

Greg Meyer, @GregAtGist

What is Customer Experience?

“Customer experience (CX) is the sum of all experiences a customer has with a supplier of goods or services, over the duration of their relationship with that supplier.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_experience

What do Customers Need?

Abraham Maslow, Hierarchy of Needs

Food, Water, Shelter

Security, Freedom from Harm

Friendship, Association

Peace of mind, confidence

Creativity, Acceptance, Innovation

What can you provide?

Abraham Maslow, Hierarchy of Needs

A guide to help them get where they want to go

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/lapstrake

Food, Water, Shelter

Security, Freedom from Harm

Friendship, Association

Peace of mind, confidence

Creativity, Acceptance, Innovation

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/werkunz/

Great Experience

What makes a better experience?

Photo by http://.flickr.com/photos/chrisschoenbohm/

When expectations match (and improve) reality

• It’s Hard• Nobody has asked for it specifically• It doesn’t provide immediate ROI• They’re not sure how to do it.

Why don’t companies do abetter job at this?

Companies that build great experiences become great brands

• Apple – the easiest to use computers• Zappos – great selection and no-hassle

returns• IKEA – build to order and customize• Southwest Airlines – go anywhere for less• FedEx – ship anything, anywhere

How not to do it: examples• United Airlines – handled baggage poorly,

and the whole world found out.• AT&T – is known for dropping iPhone calls,

not delighting customers.

Perception (PR) is part of the Customer Experience

Insights

• Deciding that you want to be the best helps.• Having great products helps.• Owning your mistakes and fixing them helps.

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/untickalock/

How can you actually do it?

• Listen to customers• Engage and help• Share knowledge• Triage and delegate• Respond and resolve

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmray02

The Practice of Listening

• Listen– Use a listening

framework to hear what customers are saying

– Calls, emails, alerts, customer feedback, social

Tools:

Everyday Practices:• Create alerts for your brand, your key staff members, and your products• Acknowledge what you’re hearing by thanking the person who wrote/called

Free Medium High-End

•Google Alerts•Gist

•Spredfast•CoTweet

•Radian6•Visible Technologies

Results:• Learn more about customers who care about your brand (positive/negative)• Things your customers think you should fixPhoto by

http://flickr.com/photos/94379417@N00/

Engage without being a Jerk

• Engage – Identify your

influencers and have a planned outreach

– “don’t be a chump.” start the kind of interaction you’d enjoy receiving.

Tools:

Everyday Practices:• Reach out to 5-10 people who matter by showing genuine interest• Record your contact so that team members know you talked to that person.

Free Medium High-End

•Twitter•Gist

•Batchbook•Salesforce

•Eloqua•Marketo

Results:• Measure by number of fans who are engaged (mentions in social media, positive emails)Photo by

flickr.com/photos/rogercarr

Share, “just because”

• Blog• Share Content• Share Expertise• Introduce your

peers• WOW customers

Tools:

Everyday Practices:• Comment on a blog or share news• Introduce a few people who need to know each other• Go to coffee with someone new

Almost Free Medium High-End

•Email•Phone Calls•Blogs, Tweets•Coffee Meeting

•Swag(T-Shirts, Jackets, Candy)

•Experiences(Surprise your customers!)

Results:• Measure by number of fans who are engaged (mentions in social media, positive emails)

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/jenosaur/

Triage and Delegate

• Triage– Use existing rules

from other channels– If there aren’t any,

write some.

Tools:

Everyday Practices:• Use standard macros to respond to easy questions; if you answer something 3 times, write content• Create a view to ensure stale questions are addressed after 21 days

Free Medium High-End

•Email•Bugzilla

•Zendesk•Salesforce

•RightNow•Oracle

Results:• Measure by bug backlog, number of open bugs, days in queue

Respond, and quickly

• Respond– Privately– Publicly– Programmatically

• Remember: – Promise what you

mean, and mean what you promise

Tools:

Everyday Practices:•Reach out to 3-5 people “just because”•Close the loop on support issues or on scheduling meetings•Make sure the issue is resolved, or acknowledged with a timeframe for resolution

Free Medium High-End

•Email•Phone Call

•Zendesk•Salesforce

•RightNow•Oracle

Results:• Happy Customers/Good Word of Mouth

When are you doing well?

• Unsolicited positive feedback

• Other KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are Good

• Customer Experience Becomes/Is Part of Your Overall Brand

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorsner/

Last Slide Again

1. Connect with people on a human level – they want to hear from you.

2. Find the right tools to deliver the best experience, and implement them.

3. Keep doing it.

4. Contact me at greg@gist.com,or at @GregAtGist.