A recent study in Holland found that half of the 'faulty' electronic products that were returned to retailers weren't actually faulty at all. The consumer simply could not figure out how to use their new electronic device and quickly assumed it was broken.
Even worse still, an American research suggested that 10% of consumers purposely damage or sometimes even destroy such devices out of pure frustration. In one particular study, they found a restaurant manager can thrown his laptop into the deep fryer, resulting in a ruined laptop and deep fryer.
High tech products aren't the only things which people get angry over. The BBC reports that 90 percent of people feel frustrated or angry after talking with a call centre representative. I felt this last year when I was moving house as it took 167 minutes spread across 2 days and 9 phone calls just to get the phone switched over to the new address.
So it amazes me that companies would spend so much on advertising a product or service compared to the little or no amount they spend ensuring that it is easy to use. In the end, if the consumer has had an unplesant experience with a product or service, it is likely that no amount of advertising could seduce them into using that particular brand again.
Companies instead should focus on improving a customers experience. This involves things such as recognizing and understanding the customers expectations and improving the quality of their interactions across all aspects of the company and its products and services.
In order to understand the expectations, we must first need to know what customers want to do and how they would like to be treated. As each individual is different, these expectations are going to be entirely different; depending on the context of the situation. A customer that calls in for support may have different needs to one that looks online at the website for a product. Customer expectations will vary as they will be driven by word-of-mouth, advertising and the customers own personal experiences.
Just to make things more difficult, companies and organisations now have various ways for a customer to interact with them. Websites, call centres, email and local brances all need to provide the same consistent information which is appropriate to the limitations of that medium. Because different technologies can persuade people in different ways, some mediums are more suited for some interactions than others.
If a company can get its customer experience right, the results are obvious; increased customer satisfaction will lead to more sales. A product/service differentiation will also create an important competitive advantage and improved or better brand perception will lead to an increase in market share. On the other hand, bad customer experiences can lead to angry customers, a fading brand and of course, lost revenue.
Even worse still, an American research suggested that 10% of consumers purposely damage or sometimes even destroy such devices out of pure frustration. In one particular study, they found a restaurant manager can thrown his laptop into the deep fryer, resulting in a ruined laptop and deep fryer.
High tech products aren't the only things which people get angry over. The BBC reports that 90 percent of people feel frustrated or angry after talking with a call centre representative. I felt this last year when I was moving house as it took 167 minutes spread across 2 days and 9 phone calls just to get the phone switched over to the new address.
So it amazes me that companies would spend so much on advertising a product or service compared to the little or no amount they spend ensuring that it is easy to use. In the end, if the consumer has had an unplesant experience with a product or service, it is likely that no amount of advertising could seduce them into using that particular brand again.
Companies instead should focus on improving a customers experience. This involves things such as recognizing and understanding the customers expectations and improving the quality of their interactions across all aspects of the company and its products and services.
In order to understand the expectations, we must first need to know what customers want to do and how they would like to be treated. As each individual is different, these expectations are going to be entirely different; depending on the context of the situation. A customer that calls in for support may have different needs to one that looks online at the website for a product. Customer expectations will vary as they will be driven by word-of-mouth, advertising and the customers own personal experiences.
Just to make things more difficult, companies and organisations now have various ways for a customer to interact with them. Websites, call centres, email and local brances all need to provide the same consistent information which is appropriate to the limitations of that medium. Because different technologies can persuade people in different ways, some mediums are more suited for some interactions than others.
If a company can get its customer experience right, the results are obvious; increased customer satisfaction will lead to more sales. A product/service differentiation will also create an important competitive advantage and improved or better brand perception will lead to an increase in market share. On the other hand, bad customer experiences can lead to angry customers, a fading brand and of course, lost revenue.
About the Author:
Interested in learning how Usability Consultants can assist your business? Contact Optimal Usability.
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire