Why do customers return to the companies they love doing business with?
That’s what we asked more than 1,000 customers in our annual consumer experience research, and here are some of the top reasons.
- Employees who are helpful
- A friendly experience
- A convenient and easy experience
- A personalised experience
- Employees who show empathy
Customers can decide to return based on any one or a combination of these experiences, or anything else they deem to be positive. And as good as these experiences are, are they good enough to get customers to return?
Recently, I read an article about creating emotional connections through customer experience (CX) memories and how business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies are winning over customers with 'memory-driven CX.'
The article's point was that, more than just creating a good experience, it is the memory of the experience that drives repeat business and potential loyalty.
Some companies understand this better than others. Consider Netflix, which once a year sends its subscribers a ‘What We Watched’ summary of the shows and movies they watched.
Or Starbucks, which sends its ‘members’ a free drink or food item for their birthday. These companies, and many others, have engineered a follow-up experience that recalls the experience, creating a 'Remember When' moment.
This moment triggers a memory and creates an emotional reaction that makes the customer want to repeat the experience.
To do this, you don’t need to be a big business like Netflix or Starbucks. Here’s a simple five-step process to get you thinking about how to create the Remember When experience:
An experience worth remembering:
If you don’t have that, stop here and start working on your overall customer experience.
Identify key touch points: Your journey map will help you identify your main interactions with your customers.
If you haven’t created your customer journey maps, stop here and do so!
What should the customer remember? Not all touch points need to be memorable. Sometimes it’s just a few – maybe even just one.
Identify these key interactions and engineer them to be memorable. For example, a restaurant might bring a small plate of chocolate with the bill, capping off a wonderful dining experience. Last impressions leave lasting impressions.
Design a follow-up campaign: Similar to Netflix, remind customers why they love doing business with you. Don’t combine this with a sales pitch; this is meant to create the Remember When experience.
Measure the impact: Be sure to find out if the customer agrees with your memorable moments.
Furthermore, determine if the follow-up campaign is working.
I’ve written about the 'I’ll Be Back' experience. If you want your customers to return, create the experience that gets them to do so. Then remind them about the experience. That will help bring customers who say, “I’ll be back,” to return.
Frustration into satisfaction
I recently responded to a question on LinkedIn: A customer is furious about an out-of-stock item. How do you turn their frustration into satisfaction?
I added a second part to that question. What if what the customer wants is something you’ve never had in stock?
Some customers might still be angry that you do not have what they want. And even if they aren’t, whether the item is out of stock or you don’t carry it, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the customer happy.
Before we go further, let me quickly recap how to deal with any upset or complaining customer. This is my five-step process for handling complaints:
- Apologise for the problem
- Acknowledge what the problem is
- Discuss the resolution
- Accept ownership
- Act with urgency
Is the item the customer wants temporarily out of stock? If so, when will it be in, and when can the customer expect to receive it? Giving customers information gives them a sense of control.
What if you’re out of the item and won’t be able to get any more in inventory? This is an opportunity to shine. If you can’t suggest a reasonable alternative, does a competitor have what the customer wants?
Yes, I’m suggesting sending the customer to a competitor. Even if the sale goes to a competitor, the customer will realise you’re more interested in getting them what they want and need rather than making a sale, which can go a long way in building trust that takes the relationship to a higher level.
Whenever a customer is unhappy or has a complaint, it’s an opportunity to resolve the problem and turn a 'Moment of Misery' into a 'Moment of Magic'. For inventory issues, it’s an easy fix.
Always think to yourself, even if you must give up the sale to a competitor, “Is what I’m doing right now going to get the customer to come back?”
When you have the customer’s best interest in mind, they will!
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