“I ordered for large french fries, not large french fry holders.”, my exact words as I posted a reel on my account about a bad customer experience I had with a fast-food giant with a photo of two large french fry holders with unnoticeable fries inside.
I only have about 50 followers on that account, but that reel has been viewed over 3,000 times, liked by nearly a hundred people, and I received a few messages from people who have had similar customer experiences.
Did I try to contact the large corporation’s CS before posting my reel? Yes!
Did Customer Service resolve the issue? No.
Did I have a good Customer Experience? Nah.
Was I a customer evangelist? Yes, but this time, the type who shares a negative experience.
We often hear and throw around the term “Customer Experience,” but what exactly does it mean?
Customer experience, according to Forbes, is the total journey of a customer’s interactions with a brand. It is the sum of all contacts, from first discovering and researching a product to shopping and purchasing the product to actually using it and following up with the brand afterward. Customer experience evaluates how customers feel about a company as a whole, including the emotional, physical, and psychological connections they have with a brand. It does not refer to a single interaction, but rather to the entire customer lifecycle and every touchpoint a customer has with a product or service.
Maybe that giant fast-food branch thinks that one bad customer experience from a nobody like me wouldn’t affect their company big time; yes, it could be, but it could also impact the over 3000 people who watched my reel. Perhaps they will be more cautious when ordering their next large fries, more observant, insist on receiving what they have paid for, or who knows, maybe stop ordering from that brand and urge others to do so too. And just in case you haven’t heard, according to PwC, bad experiences are driving customers away, really fast.
So, what can small businesses learn from this situation?
As a small business competing for the lion’s share, customer experience is your best friend. When you own a small business, you can talk to your customers face to face and avoid the congestion and hierarchy that large corporations have. You make more room in providing better experiences and meeting or even exceeding customers’ needs.
I have mentioned in my previous article that if I have a bad customer experience, I, like most customers, “walk away,” never to return, and most of the time without saying anything. When I like a brand, on the other hand, I will be your most active fan; once a brand has earned my loyalty
I buy my vegetables for the week from an online vegetable shop. I have been getting vegetables weekly from this shop for more than a year now. The shop’s Facebook profile isn’t very impressive, but it’s simple, basic, and straightforward. It may have been made by the brand’s non-techie staff for its non-techie customers. But who cares, as long as it does the job. I have so much faith in this shop that I have referred them to some of my friends and even considered including them in one of my articles.
These are some of the things I like about this shop:
1. Their order form is also simple, but with all of the necessary information included.
2. Someone will contact you via messenger to notify you that your order form has been received and to provide delivery estimates.
3. If you have a question, they respond promptly.
4. When your order is complete, the person in charge will send you a text message informing you of the amount you must pay and whether or not an item is available.
5. You will then receive a call or text message from the delivery rider informing you of the estimated arrival time.
6. When it arrives, the rider will assist you in unloading the vegetables and will wait for you to inspect each item to ensure that it is in good condition.
7. There are also customer-friendly payment methods available.
Did you see how this shop is present at every step of my buyer’s journey, giving me a great customer experience?
I have been with them for more than a year because I am happy with the entire customer experience and not just with the products. Obviously, there is a direct link between customer experience and how long customers stay with a company. When customers aren’t happy with your brand, they’ll most likely switch to one of your rivals.
Customer satisfaction is measured by your ability to respond to emails, inquiries, send “thank you” notes or freebies, constant updates and solve problems. That kind of customer experience makes customers happy, which leads to more customer evangelists through word of mouth, online reviews, and social media, resulting in more revenue and faster ROI.
Here are some of the top reasons why small businesses seeking faster ROIs should prioritize creating a positive customer experience:
- 60% of buyers trust reviews from friends, family, and other customers when learning about new products.
- Businesses that focus on improving customer experience see an 80% boost in revenue.
- 86% of customers are willing to spend more for a better experience.
- Improving your customer experience can double your revenue in 36 months.
- A loyal customer is worth up to 10 times as much as his or her first purchase.
Each of us has unique customer experiences and favorite brands. My poor customer experience may or may not have an impact on you. While my excellent customer experience may or may not persuade you to try a product. But, in the end, keeping customers happy and loyal is critical to a successful and expanding business. Customer experience can make or break a company’s brand. As you start this journey, try to understand what your clients are going through, even if the experience isn’t as good as you thought it was.
Ynna Floresta, is a Social Media Manager, First Line Copywriter, and Canva Creative Designer at Socially YnnaVAtive, a virtual assistance firm that assists with “time-consuming and technical stuff” like web research, social media management, lead generation, copywriting, and content creation. Her primary focus is on assisting life and faith-based coaches, SMEs, and solopreneurs with tasks that they do not have enough time to complete.
She considers herself an accidental writer.
Connect with Ynna:
https://www.facebook.com/ynnavative