CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INNOVATION, ONE INDUSTRY AT A TIME
The Issue at hand...
Businesses fail to see the importance, and absolute need, of being in the business of satisfying PEOPLE and providing a customer service experience that will invite repeat business.
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Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future
Steve Jobs
Former Apple CEO
- You have to be no less than a customer concierge, doing everything you can to make every one of your customers feel acknowledged, appreciated, and heard. You have to make them feel special, just like when your great-grandmother walked into Butcher Bob’s shop or bought her new hat, and you need to make people who aren’t your customers wish they were. Social media gives businesses the tools to do that for the first time in a scalable way. Gary Vaynerchuk, “The Thank You Economy
- Stellar service should be non-negotiable and merchants shouldn’t hide behind self-service tools and technology when it comes to knowing their products and taking care of their customers Lauren Freedman, President of the E-Tailing Group
Beyond Sales believes that....
Personal Communication
Personal communication is vital to all customer service experiences. There was once a time when communicating with your local sales associate was via limited mediums: local phone service, a visit to the local establishment or a mailed correspondence. These means of communication required a personal touch, allowing for a relationship to be formed. Before any correspondence could be commenced, a consumer would have limited means to find a local sales associate or their establishment. The local phone book or newspaper would be the most preferred means, followed by posters, advertisements or word-of-mouth. Once the consumer had found what they were looking for and where, it would be time to speak with a person selling the product. Ideally, this person would know the customer by name and meet their needs without delay. While technology has allowed for quick and easy access to information on a product, it does not meet the personal need of “handing” a sold product over to the consumer. Technology does a great job of advertising sales prices and available products, but it does not use its experiences to explain an items features or shortcomings to a consumer in a language that can be understood only by that particular customer. Its people, more importantly people communicating with people, that extends technologies usefulness into everyday tasks and and fulfillment of needs. Plainly speaking, knowing the bottom line price to an automobile is fantastic, but it’s the sales associate that has the knowledge of and will be handing the keys over for the specific automobile that will serve as the gift to a deserving future college student. People matter and how they communicate matters more than what’s currently advertised.
and that....
Time Is Valuable
Time is the most precious commodity a consumer has. Consumers spend all of their natural lives making decisions on how to spend their time and with whom to spend it with. Often times choosing to spend their time where it’s most needed and most valued. When choosing a product to purchase, it’s not just the product itself, but the time that went into obtaining it. Purchasing anything can be an experience in itself, but when purchasing the bigger products - home, car - the buying experience can be one of the greatest stories ever told. Most importantly, the time it took - the lack there of - being the core of the story. The time the sales associate took to listen to their needs, the time it took for the product to be shown and - most notably - the total time it took for the product to be delivered.
Therefore in order to achieve effective personal communication with customers and treating their time with the importance it warrants, there should be a new way forward
Innovation & Process
Innovation, as defined by Beyond Sales, is the process of evaluating the current automotive marketplace, theorizing the issue consumers face when purchasing their next vehicle and creating a solution that will promote an environment for a customer service experience second-to-none. The solution will be repeatable and scalable, allowing for consumer feedback and elaboration. Process is the key to driving the solution and Beyond Sales has developed a process that will revolutionize the automotive customer service experience.
We have the solution
The road ahead is paved with repeat attempts at solving the riddle of customer satisfaction. Time is valuable. People are valuable. Both hold the solution. Prepare for the automotive customer experience to evolve.
A new Partner is coming in....