We need to deliver fast, make customers happy FAST. Act fast, think fast and reward ourselves even faster. We are trained to think of the goal or gratification and not think about the process of getting there. The process is the 'dirty word'; long, arduous journey that might take a little longer than a minute to fulfill your goal. Add on the ups and downs in the process, some might not even take the first step at all! They enjoyed the idea of the goal and not the process. They want something instant and fast. Instant gratification at its best.
Today, Dr AR Bernard came and shared about processes, goals and getting to it. Each level of upgrade in our life goals is a series of stages and processes. We need to get through a stage before we get to a new level. A stage that is to be completed only through a process of grinding and moulding. Only through this, we get to ascend to the next level of higher attainment in skills and personal development.
I can relate this immediately to the way consumers today focus only on the end results and not wanting to know how to get there. They are 'sold' based on the end. Dr Bernard quoted an example of the abs machine seen on the shopping channel. The abs on the well toned man is the goal. The abs machine (you are paying for) became secondary because you are fixated about the end goal or result. You want to look good like him. Period.
Can we wait a minute longer to think about the process instead of jumping in on the goal? What about these?
1) Think about the purpose of volunteering before you sign up to give time and money to a cause?
2) Think about how you are able to make a comeback from failures before you start your own business?
3) Think about the training you need to go through before thinking of the Marathon or Ironman Finisher medal around your neck.
Delaying gratification or waiting a minute longer before you leech your eyes on the goal. Being goal oriented does not mean you forsake the process. Consumers stay with brands who are willing to take them from A to Z in a process or journey. Returning profitable customers are the ones who grow with your brand through a process and a goal in mind. Do this today, wait a minute longer to think about the process first before you fix on the end goal. It might save you alot of minutes in the long run.
Please leave your comments, if any.
Showing posts with label customer engagement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer engagement. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Friday, 26 March 2010
Brand Empowerment
To empower means to develop confidence in own capacity. This is powerful and liberating at the same time. A greater sense of drive, direction and purpose to achieve. To be Brand Empowered, the brand and its people behind it takes on a strong sense of purpose to deliver its promise to deliver a compelling brand experience. It is a catalyst of brand velocity and growth.
Today, branding activities actualize from the top but brand experience hardly filters down entirely to the entire body within the organization. A brand strategy takes care of the road map and action plan to make this happen. However, without the key ingredient of brand empowerment, the brand experience can waiver and become inconsistent by the time it reaches its customers.
Brand Empowerment should work on all levels. In a SME, it can be the boss who passes down a certain set of instructions to the staff. How to service clients and sell the brand. However, Brand Empowerment is more than that set of instructions. Here are the key aspects of Brand Empowerment.
Who owns the brand? Everyone does!
Everyone in a organization should be empowered to have brand ownership. This means all the staff are able to deliver the brand promise and effectively trained to do so. Think of them as different parts of a body (the brand) to move the body forward.
Advertising and Brand Delivery, do they align?
What do you communicate and what do you deliver? Is there a gap? Are the customers trying to tell you something? Do you even ask through a simple survey. Customers evolve, why should a brand keep still? Ultimately, if your customers are empowered by your brand, you attained a whole new level of growth. Social media takes brand empowerment to a whole new level. Brand spreads if customers are empowered to do so. Consider a brand platform as a starting point.
Customer Service, a powerful competitive advantage.
In my previous post, I talked about Branded Customer Service. In its essence, it is taking the brand promise and delivering to its customers in an unique, branded way. This can be achieved only if staff are brand empowered in the first place. This transfer can be done through proper brand training at the service front.
Brand Cues
Are there enough cues or touch points which your staff are able to communicate to customers? Do you give enough customers to talk, gossip and spread around? Too often, great brands are let down by lack of the 'long tail'. The tail that allows you to curl up the customers and let them have a reason to come back again. Look at your brand cues, what are those left to marketing which you can refresh, rejuvenate and reengage.
I will leave you with this.
Please leave your comments, if any.
Today, branding activities actualize from the top but brand experience hardly filters down entirely to the entire body within the organization. A brand strategy takes care of the road map and action plan to make this happen. However, without the key ingredient of brand empowerment, the brand experience can waiver and become inconsistent by the time it reaches its customers.
Brand Empowerment should work on all levels. In a SME, it can be the boss who passes down a certain set of instructions to the staff. How to service clients and sell the brand. However, Brand Empowerment is more than that set of instructions. Here are the key aspects of Brand Empowerment.
Who owns the brand? Everyone does!
Everyone in a organization should be empowered to have brand ownership. This means all the staff are able to deliver the brand promise and effectively trained to do so. Think of them as different parts of a body (the brand) to move the body forward.
Advertising and Brand Delivery, do they align?
What do you communicate and what do you deliver? Is there a gap? Are the customers trying to tell you something? Do you even ask through a simple survey. Customers evolve, why should a brand keep still? Ultimately, if your customers are empowered by your brand, you attained a whole new level of growth. Social media takes brand empowerment to a whole new level. Brand spreads if customers are empowered to do so. Consider a brand platform as a starting point.
Customer Service, a powerful competitive advantage.
In my previous post, I talked about Branded Customer Service. In its essence, it is taking the brand promise and delivering to its customers in an unique, branded way. This can be achieved only if staff are brand empowered in the first place. This transfer can be done through proper brand training at the service front.
Brand Cues
Are there enough cues or touch points which your staff are able to communicate to customers? Do you give enough customers to talk, gossip and spread around? Too often, great brands are let down by lack of the 'long tail'. The tail that allows you to curl up the customers and let them have a reason to come back again. Look at your brand cues, what are those left to marketing which you can refresh, rejuvenate and reengage.
I will leave you with this.
Please leave your comments, if any.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Branded Customer Service
A lot of brands are frustrated. They spent huge amount of money on advertising, branding and design, yet the brand promise fails to get across to their customers. A brand that claims "Our customers are number one" fails to train their staff to deliver this. Great products, great services but lousy customer service. Brands suffer erosion rather than positive gain.When a brand's communication and delivery do not gel, the brand fails ultimately. Brand value drops.
Once in a while, we hear good news about how customer service can lift a brand to new heights. Much more effective than the millions spent on advertising and branding activities. Nick's Pizza & Pub, Zappos, Ritz Carlton and Singapore Airlines. Zappos is worth US$1billion dollars when Amazon acquired it. Zappos spent $0 in mass media advertising before the takeover. That is a billion dollar worth of tangible brand value from delivering good customer service. I find it hard to argue that great customer service is indeed a key competitive advantage for brands, especially for those in Asia where customer service has a huge gap to fill.
Some CEOs realize this but ground issues are especially sticky to handle, they are helpless. The reach and management chain works against them. Meetings and boardroom strategies take priority. It is a slippery slope.
Branded Customer Service takes a new approach at helping brands achieve its promise and potential. Here is the alternative approach. Branding and branded customer service are taught to service staff, not just to senior-middle management. Having a branded customer service training that inculcates brand values and its essence to service staff. How to effectively translate, impart and deliver the brand promise to its customer through great customer service. This is beyond the courtesy greet or 'get-your-shoes-in-2-minutes' prompt service. It is taking the brand essence and effectively imbue it. Getting your merchandise into the hands of your customers in an unique and branded way. Challenging but the results are nothing short of remarkable.
To learn more about Training for Branded Customer Service, write to training@ingens.sg for more details. Find out how you can do it the branded way.
Please leave your comments, if any. Image taken from Zappos.
Once in a while, we hear good news about how customer service can lift a brand to new heights. Much more effective than the millions spent on advertising and branding activities. Nick's Pizza & Pub, Zappos, Ritz Carlton and Singapore Airlines. Zappos is worth US$1billion dollars when Amazon acquired it. Zappos spent $0 in mass media advertising before the takeover. That is a billion dollar worth of tangible brand value from delivering good customer service. I find it hard to argue that great customer service is indeed a key competitive advantage for brands, especially for those in Asia where customer service has a huge gap to fill.Some CEOs realize this but ground issues are especially sticky to handle, they are helpless. The reach and management chain works against them. Meetings and boardroom strategies take priority. It is a slippery slope.
Branded Customer Service takes a new approach at helping brands achieve its promise and potential. Here is the alternative approach. Branding and branded customer service are taught to service staff, not just to senior-middle management. Having a branded customer service training that inculcates brand values and its essence to service staff. How to effectively translate, impart and deliver the brand promise to its customer through great customer service. This is beyond the courtesy greet or 'get-your-shoes-in-2-minutes' prompt service. It is taking the brand essence and effectively imbue it. Getting your merchandise into the hands of your customers in an unique and branded way. Challenging but the results are nothing short of remarkable.
To learn more about Training for Branded Customer Service, write to training@ingens.sg for more details. Find out how you can do it the branded way.
Please leave your comments, if any. Image taken from Zappos.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
The design of endurance races
In the second post of Design Strategy, I would like to touch on the design of experiences. Experiences which leaves a lingering and impactful memory on consumers who got in touch with the brand. The design of such an experience takes a lot of planning, brainstorming and proper execution. A well thought out design from start till end.
Events which I can personally relate to are endurance races like biathlons. Having completed a few over the past few years, I have my personal hits and misses.
For the 10th year running, the Singapore Biathlon is the longest running biathlon and the largest in Southeast Asia. I had the chance to relish this race experience on the 13th March 2010. There are high expectations on the race organiser to maintain interest amongst existing endurance tribes and new ones.
There are different areas of experience which can be streamlined to.
1) Design Themes for Comunication: The entire experience revolves around safety, sense of achievement and scale. These are the themes to reinforce its brand promise as the biggest biathlon in the region.
2) Design for Engagement: It is a qualification race. First timers have to qualify by swimming 50m in a swimming ppol for 1.5km under a certain timing. Lapsed participants have to go through this process if they did not race for two consecutive years.
3) Design for Emotional Branding: Medal and Finisher T-shirt. These are the main items for rewarding the well deserved biathletes whom finished the course. These items are badging products which form part of the loyalty towards the race or brand.
Please leave your comments, if any. Picture taken from SAFRA website.
Events which I can personally relate to are endurance races like biathlons. Having completed a few over the past few years, I have my personal hits and misses.
For the 10th year running, the Singapore Biathlon is the longest running biathlon and the largest in Southeast Asia. I had the chance to relish this race experience on the 13th March 2010. There are high expectations on the race organiser to maintain interest amongst existing endurance tribes and new ones.There are different areas of experience which can be streamlined to.
1) Design Themes for Comunication: The entire experience revolves around safety, sense of achievement and scale. These are the themes to reinforce its brand promise as the biggest biathlon in the region.
2) Design for Engagement: It is a qualification race. First timers have to qualify by swimming 50m in a swimming ppol for 1.5km under a certain timing. Lapsed participants have to go through this process if they did not race for two consecutive years.
3) Design for Emotional Branding: Medal and Finisher T-shirt. These are the main items for rewarding the well deserved biathletes whom finished the course. These items are badging products which form part of the loyalty towards the race or brand.
Please leave your comments, if any. Picture taken from SAFRA website.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Please don't make me look at the back of your monitor?
Yes, we all don't like the back of it but how often customer service experience are exactly like that. Have a look around telco customer service counters and travel agencies, you get what I mean. The crux of the problem really lies in having business process taking over customer service. Service reps are more concern about filling out their forms or looking for the information you want rather than looking in your eyes (you, me, customers) and engaging you. Reps should be spending more percentage understanding your needs, chit chat, engage you to make you feel special etc. Deep down, we all want to be noticed and talked to.
There is nothing wrong with business process. In fact, without it, things will be messy and even chaotic. However, we need to be mindful that flexibility needs to be exercised by employees. Wait a minute, where is the floor manager? Perhaps in the back room performing one of his business process?
To attain better customer experience, there are a few ways. In the case of over the counter service like travel agencies, the monitor could be shared rather than back facing the customer or enquirer. This way, there is a common ground which both parties are engaged. What is there to hide anyway? Destination, price? Not happy, click or next destination. I am sure this potential customer is more than willing to tell you his/her plans for the next trip. Great starting point for conversation.
Another is to let the employee not be blinkered by these processes. Training them well is crucial as they are the interface or frontline with the customers. Bottom line, don't let the front or back of a PC monitor (business process) hinder great customer service experience. Flexibility is key.
There is nothing wrong with business process. In fact, without it, things will be messy and even chaotic. However, we need to be mindful that flexibility needs to be exercised by employees. Wait a minute, where is the floor manager? Perhaps in the back room performing one of his business process?
To attain better customer experience, there are a few ways. In the case of over the counter service like travel agencies, the monitor could be shared rather than back facing the customer or enquirer. This way, there is a common ground which both parties are engaged. What is there to hide anyway? Destination, price? Not happy, click or next destination. I am sure this potential customer is more than willing to tell you his/her plans for the next trip. Great starting point for conversation.
Another is to let the employee not be blinkered by these processes. Training them well is crucial as they are the interface or frontline with the customers. Bottom line, don't let the front or back of a PC monitor (business process) hinder great customer service experience. Flexibility is key.
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