At The Rainmaker Group we often speak about the importance of optimizing every customer experience touchpoint to leave your customers saying "wow!" In a recent article we outlined the process of identifying all the possible customer experience touchpoints that take place during a customer's typical visit to a sit down restaurant. Each touchpoint has the ability to dramatically affect the customer's experience for good or bad. Failure to ensure a positive experience at every touchpoint can seriously diminish a customer's overall experience and leave them with a less than favorable impression of your organization. My parents recently had an experience with a local landscaping supply company which underscores the importance of getting each and every touchpoint right.
For the past several years my parents have been dreaming and scheming about updating the landscaping in their backyard. With my help they removed and replaced an old concrete sidewalk and patio, and removed a large section of the lawn to be replaced with a paver stone patio. Taking my advice they opted to work with a local landscape supply company that had just opened for business early last summer. I suggested to them that this company would carry the best products as well as possess the necessary knowledge and expertise to ensure my parent didn't overlook any details.
My parents visited the landscape supply center and spoke with a very helpful gentleman who guided them through the whole process of installing a paver stone patio and helped them to pick out a paver stone that would be well suited for their needs. The particular stone that my parents chose was one that the landscape supply company did not currently have enough on hand to fill the large size of my parent's patio. The salesman explained that they would be receiving an order of their chosen paver stone in about two weeks and that they would call when the materials were ready for delivery.
For my father this two week wait was perfect as he was not yet ready for the delivery. Before the 1400 paver stones could be delivered my father needed to remove a fairly large pile of dirt and debris in the middle of the driveway that was left over from the removal of the old sidewalk and patio, as well as remove his boat from the space adjacent to the garage to create room to get the rented excavating equipment into the backyard.
Being a busy man, my father decided to wait until the weekend to do these chores when I would be able to help. However to his surprise he received a call the next day while driving home for lunch from the delivery company contracted by the landscape supplier. The delivery driver informed my father that he would be at his house in 30 seconds, and true to his word he was there when my father arrived unloading a pallet of stones onto the cluttered driveway.
Although he wasn't ready for the materials to be delivered my father felt he had little choice but to allow the delivery driver to place the remaining pallets on the driveway. The delivery driver finished his duties and left my father to contemplate what to do about the burgeoning mess in his driveway.
The driveway was now essentially blocked by a wall of stone leaving no room to even park a vehicle, let alone remove my father's old boat. In no time at all ,this landscaping project had become a real headache.
Knowing my father, he will devise a way to work around his boat and remove the dirt pile, but it will likely be a tricky undertaking during which choice words will likely be directed towards the wall of stone that has staked its claim in his driveway. This will likely leave a bad taste in his mouth as he thinks of the landscape supply company who had the paver stones delivered far sooner than expected and without adequate warning for him to alert them that he was not ready for the delivery yet.
Sadly all the great service and advice my parents received is currently overshadowed by their current driveway dilemma.
What the landscape supply company failed to realize was the importance of the final customer experience touchpoint in the customer's overall experience. Even though payment had been made, the customer's opinion of the overall experience was still being shaped.
Paver stones are heavy, cumbersome, and difficult to move from one point to another. Because of this, the delivery and placement of the materials in this consumer experience becomes an incredibly important touchpoint that must be carefully crafted and controlled to ensure a powerful customer experience. Remember that even your vendors can have a huge impact on your customer's experience.
One might not think of the delivery of a product to be a key customer experience touchpoint as it is one that is rarely recognized or noticed by the end customer. This however is precisely where its importance lies -- it should not be noticed, it should be a seamless part of an overall positive experience. It is only when this touchpoint is neglected or poorly performed that its importance becomes glaringly obvious.
Every touchpoint your organization has with its customers has the ability to make or break the customer's overall experience. For this reason it is incredibly important that your organization conduct a thorough audit of all possible touchpoints the customer may have with your organization and strive to maximize each touchpoint to maximize the customer's experience.
Would you like a hand maximizing your customer's experience with your organization? The Customer Experience Evangelists here at The Rainmaker Group would be happy to give you a helping hand. Give them a call at 1-866-988-RAIN or e-mail info@therainmakergroupinc.com.
Remember - every customer experience touchpoint counts!
Now go Maximize Possibility!
Other blog posts you may be interested in:
- What we can all Learn About Customer Service From Ozzy Osbourne
- Customer Service Defined by Four Little Words
- Consistency is Key to Creating an Exceptional Customer Experience
- Creating a Powerful Customer Experience by Exceeding Expectations
Chris Young helps organizations Maximize Possibility through talent management, cultural transformation, and strategic intervention. Bring Chris in today!
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