Remember that customer who said to you,”I love waiting. It’s really not a problem. I don’t mind an extra 5-10 minutes here or there.”
Of course, not a single customer has ever said anything like that.
And even if you do hear something along those lines, you know that they would prefer to have it now without any wait.
So, take a look at some of these examples to see how leading companies give modern customers exactly what they want:
1. What to Do About Wait Time
Amazon delivers your package the same-day or next-day. You get status updates all along the way.
When you hail an Uber taxi, you can see it as it gets closer on the map.
And Disneyland has an app that gives you your exact wait time for every ride.
How can you give your customers up-to-the-minute wait time updates so they have much lower anxiety and don’t feel the need to call in as much?
2. Content Consumption
Customers don’t wander around the store, or digital store, wondering what there is to buy. They might do that a little.
But, today’s customer builds a much deeper relationship with a product prior to buying.
That’s because they can watch video reviews of products, see unboxing experiences, read professional reviews, and learn quality by reading reviews at their favorite retail site.
It doesn’t matter how big or small the product. There’s usually at least dozens of other people discussing it somewhere online.
For example, visit Home Depot’s Vine feed. More than 7.6 million people follow Home Depot’s Vine feed for DIY video how-tos and new uses for old products.
You don’t need to be on every channel available (there’s too many).
But, how could you create engaging content for customers to interact more with your brand and specific products?
3. Customers Want You to Understand How They Use your Products
According to Salesforce, 70% of customers say your understanding of how they use your product is key to winning their business.
And, for reasons already discussed, you can do just that. What reasons?
Well, you simply Google your product name and search for videos, blog posts, forum posts, and other content.
Or, you do the same for competing products.
In just a few days, you can learn exactly how consumers use your product. And it used to take years to get that information!
If you want more data, you can always solicit customer content through your existing social media channels. Just ask, and offer maybe a small reward for a few customers who respond.
As with anything, focusing on your customers first wins the day. You may have to make some tactical shifts from your traditional business model.
But, you’ll easily surpass brick-and-mortars trapped in old ways of thinking and doing. And it’ll be too late for them to adjust once they figure out what to do.