Good Customer Experience Alleviates Customer Stress and Saves Time

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    • Eliminate Customer Stress with Good CX

    Good customer experiences design either gives back customer time or alleviates customer anxiety. If a brand’s CX isn’t achieving one of those goals, the customer isn’t getting any real or perceived value.  So, how can brands manage stress?  Better yet, how can brands build experiences that eliminate customer stress?

    Causes of Customer Stress – Feeling Out of Control

    The number one driver of customer stress is lack of information. Today, customers demand information. Knowledge is power and customers want to be in control of their journeys and experiences. Who can blame them? In our fast-paced environment, time is precious. Brands that respect customer time win customer loyalty.

    Spectrum’s customer experience leaves much to be desired. However, their call center customer experience is a winner. Let’s walk through that journey.  When a customer calls Spectrum, the phone system states the exact length of the hold time. Then, it offers the option to receive a call back.

    In this case, the customer gets relevant information to make a decision (call back later or stay on). And he/she is given a CHOICE. Information and choice alleviate Customer Experience stress.

    Transparency in the moment relaxes customers immediately. It makes them feel more in control. When designing CX solutions, keep in mind the solution needs to be comprehensive in order to create value. A message that says “Your wait time will be longer than usual” is not informative enough to empower decision making. In fact, because customers do not know what the usual wait time is, that information is useless. To build a call center solution that reduces CX stress, invest in creating a technology solution that actually offers customers value. Do not stop in the middle and deliver general “buckets” of information.

    The New Jersey Transit System and Long Island Railroad are building experiences that give customers the power to manage their journeys. Customers can see wait times and buy tickets via an app. Commuters know there is nothing more stressful than worrying about catching the right train. After all, one delay can mean missing a meeting or a kid’s school performance.

    The stakes are high. So is the stress. On-the-go ticket purchasing alleviates much of that stress. No more lines in front of kiosks that may or may not work. No more adding time to an already long commute.

    Transform Customer Stress to Customer Loyalty

    Stress caused by uncertainty is a real customer emotion that can drive customer loyalty and revenues if a brand manages it well. Who does not appreciate being taken care of? When patients are a brand’s customers, like in the case of Mount Sinai Hospital, the best business approach is to look across your customers’ journeys and find opportunities to bring more certainty and to empower customers with information.

    One thing that I do not recommend is to manage a prenatal “school” for future parents without building out the ability to find the address for classes, schedule or purchase online. After three plus calls and going above and beyond with the person on the other end of the phone, I eventually managed to book what I needed. But do I trust the brand as much as they need me to? Will I recommend them to other expectant moms who are eager for information and recommendations? No.

    In this case, Mount Sinai missed an opportunity to alleviate one customer’s stress, to promote loyalty, and to create an empowered customer. Make sure your brand doesn’t miss opportunities to turn Customer Experience stress into Customer Experience success!

    Don’t Miss an Opportunity to Deliver Superior Customer Experience

    … with The Petrova Experience.

    Liliana Petrova

    Published on 08/29/2018

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