Resources

Trust – The Embodiment of Customer Experience

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Guest Blogger

Trust – a small word that means so much. It is a word that plays an enormous part in all our lives. A word that epitomises our start in life – from the minute we enter in to the world, we immediately have complete trust in the people who care for us. As we grow up we learn to trust in a wider sphere of people – our families and friends, as well as respected figures in our communities such as doctors, teachers and religious leaders. We learn to trust in the things people tell us – in opinions and perspectives. We start to trust organisations that we interact with. The majority of us are fortunate to be brought up in way that we understand what trust means. For all these reasons, it is 100% clear to me why I believe that trust is the embodiment of customer experience. We grow to inherently believe it exists, and as such expect it to be present when we experience the things we do.

The fact that I am writing this blog post regrettably is a reflection of the fact that the very thing we instinctively have when we are brought in to the world, is continually being eroded away by the attitudes and behaviours of our modern society. When it comes to the world of customer experience, it would be fair to say that the consumer no longer knows who to trust. Let me ask you a few random questions:

Do you trust your bank to treat you fairly?
Do you trust your clothing retailer to sell you clothes that are made ethically?
Do you trust your food retailer to sell you food that is exactly as it states on the packaging?
Do you trust your mechanic to give you a fair price for repairing your car?
Do you trust your newspaper to tell you the truth?
Do you trust your online shopping to arrive at the time you expect?
Do you trust your local council to do what is best?
Do you trust your government to do what is right?
Do you trust anyone who comes to your door in order to sell you something?
Do you trust the companies you transact with to put you, the customer, first?

In times gone by, we may well have been able to answer ‘yes’ to many (if not all) of these questions. It is a sad fact that we may well now answer ‘no’ to the majority of them. The Oxford English Dictionary defines trust as:

“The firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something”

Are we able to apply this definition to the companies with which we have experiences? It is very difficult today to talk about business that we absolutely trust to do the right thing. Many are trying. One of the UK’s largest food retailers, Morrisons, is attempting to get its customers to trust it to sell good quality meat that comes from reliable British sources. Whilst we still feel the effects of the horsemeat scandal, their campaign may well help the consumer to get a little confidence back.

British banks have a lot more work to do in order to get the consumer to trust them again. Earlier this year, the leaders of one of our failed banks has offered to return his Knighthood in recognition of the banks ails. For so long the consumer has been taken for granted – it will take a very long time before we trust the financial services sector again.

Every industry is affected by trust. Just recently, four Japanese car makers have recalled 3.4 million cars over a defect in passenger airbags. The culture that created the most robust process methodologies the world has ever seen, are also now in the firing line.

Failing to deliver an experience that can be trusted can have far greater consequences today than in years gone by. The best example of this is the now world famous ‘United Breaks Guitars’ story, and Dave Carroll’s mission to expose that lack of care and respect United Airlines gave him as a customer. As of today, the video he posted on YouTube about his experience has been viewed almost 13 million times. The damage to United Airlines is probably immeasurable.

Whilst my words have focussed very much on the lack of trust, we should start to focus on how to earn it – and in a lot of cases, how to get it back. I believe that it is possible to create the ‘trust equation’ for organisations to align to.

The equation looks at four things:

Honesty
Reliability
Consistency
Care

Let us have a quick look at these in turn.

Honesty – consumers just want organisations to be honest. Just tell me the truth. Do what you say you are going to do. Do not try and hide anything. Consumers also expect that organisations will not get things right 100% of the time – so just be honest with me when you get it wrong, and address the issue. How many businesses that you deal with are honest?

Reliability – we all want the businesses we deal with to be reliable. We want to know that things will work as they should. I wanted to buy a specific clothing item from a small independent retailer the afternoon before I was due to go on holiday. I arrived at the shop to find it closed. It was 4:15pm. On the door, in big letters it stated that the shop closed at 5:00pm every day. Reliable? Not only did the retailer miss out on that purchase, they will not be given the opportunity to get another.

Consistency – this is vital in delivering an experience that the consumer will trust. If you are able to deliver a consistent experience, your consumer will be far more likely to keep coming back. The bigger the brand, the harder this is to do. Premier Inn is a hotel brand that is starting to excel in the consistency arena. Every Premier Inn is the same – it looks, feels and behaves the same. By contrast, other hotel brands deliver inconsistent experiences, meaning that you do not always get what you expect.

Care – this is the final bit of the trust equation. If you are able to achieve the first three elements, you are in great shape. But it is possible to be honest, reliable and consistent without caring. As a consumer, I want to know that the company I deal with cares about me. They recognise the importance of me as a customer. If not, it is unlikely that I will build an emotional connection with that company. If that does not happen, the likelihood of me recalling my experiences is minimal. One could argue that Ryanair are a brand that sums this up. They are very honest in what they do. They are very reliable (the most in their industry) and consistent. But do they care?

I believe that Trust is the embodiment of customer experience. I believe that if organisations do not embrace Trust, and work hard to ensure that they deliver experiences that can be trusted; they will fail to be able to attract and keep the customers they exist to serve. Companies that we can trust will be the real winners as our fast changing world powers on.

Misbehaving Brands: Do their Customers Run a Mile?

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Lindsay Morrison

Is customer loyalty affected when brands behave badly Starbucks have been in the news a lot recently, and not all for the right reasons. It was revealed at the start of this month that the company had paid less than £10m in corporation tax, despite sales in the billions. And the criticism that followed may have led their customers to find their coffee fix elsewhere. But is this the case for all brands that get their fingers burned?

Following their attempt to manipulate Libor rates earlier in the year, Barclays Bank were left with fewer customers than before the scandal, but not as few as many would have expected. Regardless of whether customers leave in their hundreds or their millions, this must be taken seriously. Perhaps “likelihood to stick by a brand” should be considered as important as “likelihood to recommend”.

So what is it exactly that makes a customer loyal to a brand when they encounter such problems? Is it the feeling that misbehaving brands will learn their lesson? Or does the difficulty in switching providers outweigh the dislike for a company’s conduct?
Either way, both Starbucks and Barclays must use 2013 as a platform to rebuild the trust of their customers. After all, if they find themselves in hot water again, their customers might be less forgiving!

Our Top Ten Posts of 2012

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Nupur Chatterjee

The Percepta team in Europe have spent this past year understanding, analysing and making the best out of customer service, experience and insight trends and news to deliver the best for our clients and partners. This process has led to some great blog posts and we’ve put together ten of our most popular ones in this roundup of 2012. We hope 2013 brings our clients and partners across the globe, as well as our teams working with them, heaps of success, knowledge and joy. Wishing all our readers a prosperous 2013!

Our top ten posts of 2012:

Innovation: But not as we know it!

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Lindsay Morrison

Innovation: But not as we know it! Innovation is the word on everyone’s lips. We all, it seems, want to be innovative, to reinvent the wheel when and wherever possible. It worked well for Apple, after all (Steve Jobs admitted that their strategy was to innovate their way out of trouble). And a few months ago a colleague of mine wrote about the importance of a culture of innovation in the workplace. But can innovation ever be considered a bad thing? Can companies do more harm than good when they innovate?

Last week’s Glasgow for Business “28 days to be a more innovative company” event opened with a brainstorming session on barriers to innovation. Responses ranged from “risk averse” to “lack of finances” and “lack of collaborative culture”. But no-one mentioned the dreaded D word – damage. Innovation has the potential to be damaging. From a customer loyalty perspective, this is understandable. After all, if my customers enjoy my product and continue to buy it, will changing the product make them change their minds about buying?

Perhaps subtle innovation is the answer here. Take Heinz Baked Beans as an example. They started in 1886, and have maintained the same recipe to the present day. No changes, no innovating. And their customers continue to buy in their millions. But the company have been innovating. The subtle innovations lie in the branding and marketing of the product, not the product itself. Big changes for the company, but small changes for the customer.

So what can we learn from this? Subtle innovation might be the way forward. Apple, after all, made very few changes to the iPhone 5 when it was released earlier this month. Once again; a small change for the customer, a large step for the company.

The question now is, how far can subtle innovation go? Can companies get by on making small, subtle changes, or will they always feel the need to reinvent the wheel?

Percepta at the DMA Ball

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Lindsay Morrison

On the 11th of November this year, Percepta attended the Direct Marketing Association’s 17th Anniversary Ball, held in Edinburgh’s Prestonfield Hotel, located at the foot of Arthur’s Seat. The beautifully decorated stables adjacent to the hotel itself would host the event, providing guests with a spectacular setting for the evening’s festivities. Those attending were greeted to a champagne reception upon arrival, followed by a three course meal, ceilidh and late night disco, giving them the chance to chat and get to know other members of the DMA from throughout the UK.

The event also saw the welcome return of the Percepta sponsored “Groovy Booth”, where attendees could pose for photographs dressed in various comedy wigs, hats and oversized sunglasses (those of a nervous disposition have been warned). This year’s revellers did not disappoint, with queues for the booth stretching across the dance floor at times.

The highlight of the night was the ever popular Orcadian Strip the Willow, which got the majority of the crowd off their seats and onto the dance floor. As many of the attendees headed for the DMA after party, they were thankful that there was no repeat of last year’s weather (2010’s ball marked the beginning of the heavy snow, which lasted well into the New Year).

Overall, the night was a huge success, and the grandeur of the setting was matched only by the party atmosphere throughout the evening. Very much looking forward to next year!

When Social Media Goes Wrong – Poor BlackBerry

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Alan Bates

My personal online accounts have been flooded with comments from friends, colleagues and business contacts about the recent ‘disaster’ caused by system failure from BlackBerry owner Research in Motion (RIM).

So what got people so upset?

Well, firstly it was the problem itself. People today just expect that, as most of our lives are run by or with technology, it should always work – 100%, every minute of every day. That just doesn’t happen.

But overwhelmingly, the comments I read are about the complete lack of information from BlackBerry, with one or two messages posted each day on Twitter advising that something is wrong (well that’s a no-brainer to every single user). What makes this even worse is that news channels report the PR releases that all will be fixed soon and the days tick on where some customers just don’t see a fix in sight.

From such a tech-savvy business, I think we could be right in saying we expected them to handle the failure, and importantly the expectation, much better.

Why have so many channels of communication and not use them? The nature of Twitter, for example, is right now! Not 12 hours ago, but the last few minutes.

So, what could we learn from this?

Firstly, be multichannel. If you are going to open channels of communication with your customers, use them and allow them to be used.

Secondly, engage. The disaster might not be just so bad if only someone had kept things updated. From the messages I have read, slowly but surely over the past 24 hours, people started to come online. Well that’s a good message, so let your customers know that is happening and reassure.

Thirdly, act. Fix the problem (obviously). But now it’s known that millions of customers aren’t happy, prepare for the fall out. Have a plan to respond to those complaints & requests for compensation. Get your staff up to date on your simple ‘policy’ to help them respond quickly.

Maybe, a good response from the company and a good fall-out plan might just save the day.

For the moment, I’m sticking with my Apple though – with my fingers crossed.

Alan

Wanted: An Automotive Sales Manager Who Focuses on Quality, Not Quick Talking

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Percepta HR

We all know the stereotypes around salespeople, such as being silver tongued, having the gift of the gab and being able to talk the hind legs off a horse. While eloquence is never a bad thing, it’s not the only thing and we’re looking for in an Automotive Sales Manager who wants to build a lasting relationship rather than make a quick buck.

We’re looking for someone with experience and enthusiasm to be a key member of our sales team, proactively working to achieve specific revenue, profit and customer satisfaction targets. Our ideal candidate will have an automotive technical background or qualification, as a key part of the role will be the consulting service provided to UK dealers.

The successful candidate will be essential in providing comprehensive sales and support services to key account holders, whist also identifying opportunities to develop sales and exploit potential areas of growth.

If you feel you are the person we are looking for, convince us by clicking the link here to apply online.

What’s The Story?

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Scott Collins

Or maybe the question is “What’s the format?”

Growing up, reading and being read to, is something that really stands out in my head. Whether getting absorbed in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or being read the Hobbit by my Dad, I have always enjoyed the escapism and enjoyment that can be found in a good book.

I still like to curl up on the sofa or tuck up in bed and read a good book and now take a lot of joy from reading to my children in the same way as my Dad did for my brother & I. Times are changing now though and with new formats and options coming out, I find myself torn between the traditional and modern.

For me, this is the only place that I am still holding on to the past, I don’t have any vinyl or CDs, I am happy to shop online (in fact I prefer it), I prefer checking bank statements online rather than getting them through the post and I wholeheartedly agree that there really is an ‘app for everything’.

The traditional book is well & truly covered for me and I have, with some trepidation considered alternative sources. I listened to my first audio book when I discovered a promotional free download of the first of the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. I downloaded it, put it on my iPod and listened to the whole book in the car on my way to and from work – I liked it. The same applied with the second book; I was given the CDs as a gift and followed exactly the same process (but I disliked having to change the CD between sections). For the third in the series, I read the actual book. At this point, I had the correct pronunciation of the characters names, a forced idea of what the tone of their voice and accent to an extent sounded like and whilst I like the familiarity, I normally decide those things for myself and then am invariably disappointed when a film is released and the characters are nothing like I imagined them (William Golding’s Lord of the Flies being the biggest disappointment for me but that topic should maybe be the subject of another blog).

Moving on to other formats, I have also tried reading e-books. If I’m to be honest about it, the last thing I want to do after a long day at work is spend even more time looking at a screen… Enter the Kindle. The screen display is fantastic, the storage is immense with the ability to hold up to 3,500 books and the battery life boasts up to 2 months without a charge. The number of titles available is endless and for me, the best part about it is that it doesn’t try to be something it’s not. I don’t have one but I’m pretty sure I want one, strangely this wasn’t until I had the chance to see the display for myself. Until that point I was certain it was just another screen.

Where do you stand on this subject? Are you a purist and would miss the feel, smell and shape of a real book in your hands or do you embrace the new formats and happily ignore tradition by putting down the physical book using comments like “I can carry 3,499 more books at the same weight”? Although it sounds funny, I know someone who has just bought a Kindle to ‘encourage her to read more’ – I totally understand this though, the formats available make it so much easier and convenient to consume information in a variety of ways. Even JK Rowling, with her latest project Pottermore, has added over 18,000 words worth of material to the Harry Potter series but will only be releasing the material online as she believes that ‘The future of publishing is digital’.

As ever, thanks for reading and feel free to leave any comments including what your favourite book of all time is.

What’s Love Got to Do with It? – Customer loyalty today

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Alan Bates

If I shop in the same store every week or I collect points in a retailer programme on a regular basis, am I loyal?

What if that store closed down and I started to purchase those essential items somewhere else, maybe because it was the closest alternative, what does that say about my loyalty then?

A matter I’ve been reading about for some time and that thousands talk about, Percepta included. I do wonder….do we all just mean repurchase or repeat business? Or do we mean the emotional relationship with the brand or product? Have we confused them?

A colleague raised a very interesting point with me a couple of weeks ago. I was having my bi-annual challenge with my mobile phone provider – the same provider that has given me phones and a mild, not-so-cheap, service for over 14 years. She asked what made me stick with them, considering I have experienced some really serious failures, and even worse failures trying to fix the originals. I found myself rationalising the fact that my 14 years of ‘loyalty’ has earned me some credits. If I want to upgrade early, if I have a complaint, if I don’t like what I’m getting, almost always I get something in return (even if it does take a long time to get it). And now, even as I’m writing this, I am realising that my reasoning is just wrong. I have probably paid them 100-fold of what they are giving me back over the years. To them, I’m loyal. To me, I’m crazy! What have I been doing?!

Take a look at some of the great retail players in ‘customer loyalty’. Is the Tesco Clubcard scheme designed to create an emotional bond with Tesco? Does the Boots Advantage Card stop me ‘cheating’ with Superdrug, even though it’s closer and probably cheaper. Not really, but it just gives me some reward to shop at Tesco or Boots – the feeling that we get something back is always a good feeling. Now that many retailers have a ‘loyalty scheme’, what might stop me from joining the Sainsbury’s (Nectar) and Superdrug schemes? If both stores are closer than their rivals, and I still get something back, maybe I will switch. I wasn’t really loyal then, was I?

There is no denying that these are great marketing tools that help these retail giants target me for more business. They personalise things for me that gives a great feeling of them valuing me as a customer. More and more behavioural economics. They can almost make me buy the £5 product to save the 25p (I do resist more often than not). Have we now become accustomed to loyalty just meaning repeat business? Or is real loyalty the attachment to Boots that makes me walk passed its high-street rivals, regardless of whether I get some points in the process?

I would love to hear your views on customer loyalty today. What does it mean? What should it mean? How do you measure it?

Alan

Wanted: Customer Service People looking to build a career!

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Percepta HR

Customer service is the cornerstone of our business and our Customer Service Advisors are the keystone in the bridge between customer and client. They are the organisation’s public face, delivering the level of service that will surprise and delight the customer and turn a disgruntled caller into a brand champion.

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated customer service professionals to join our Daventry Customer Relationship Centre (CRC). It’s an interesting and varied role where you will always be learning something new and building relationships with both customers and clients.

This isn’t a simple call centre job, you’ll have much more to do than tell the customers that the computer says no. We’re looking for people who can handle queries, managing cases as the single point of customer contact and build a relationship with the customer while resolving their issues. We can develop you in these skills and beyond, many of our staff began their careers with us in the CRC and have progressed from there.

We offer a great package of compensation and wide variety of benefits, along with development opportunities and the chance to work at a company that values its employees.

If you think this could be the role for you, click here to lay the foundations of a great career with Percepta.

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