What does the New Customer experience look like? Today, many companies are in a “you are what you buy” mindset. We live in an era where buying decisions are often influenced by the color of a shirt, or the drive to impress a certain demographic. It is not surprising that the retail industry has experienced such a dramatic rise in sales in recent years. However, it is important for any company to realize that when they are first introducing a brand new product – they need to engage their customers on a more intimate level.
A customer expects two things when entering a store. They will either be greeted warmly by friendly sales personnel or will receive an automatic discount based on their shopping history. The modern customer expects loyalty and personalization at all times. In addition, the modern customer expects immediate service, after-sales support, and quick on-screen navigation.
Most sales executives fail to recognize these requirements and are stuck in a “getting more customers in the door” mentality. The result is that they end up with a company that has no direction and continues to decline in profits. This is why a company that lacks direction and fails to provide its customers with the level of service and support that they deserve is a company that will eventually fail.
In today’s climate, a happy customer is a good customer. That means that a happy customer wants and requires exceptional service. If your company offers excellent sales and excellent prices, you have a happy customer. But if you are consistently placing your sales representatives in negative situations, your customer service is suffering.
I recently had to speak with an employee who is a member of the SalesForce Alliance. She told me that she was having trouble with her current sales representative because he was not taking care of her properly. She told me that this particular member of the team had been disrespectful to her numerous times over the phone. She told me that she would never ever work with this person again and would rather quit because of the treatment she had received.
What does this mean for you as a company? Are you willing to place the well-being of your sales representatives above your own needs and the needs of your customers? Do you place your own personal needs ahead of your sales team’s needs? Are you willing to place their career advancement to doing what is best for your own career development? The results are always the same.
When a new customer comes into your store, they are expecting to be treated like royalty. You have a responsibility to exceed in every way possible, how you have been treating your other customers. If you are consistently providing bad customer service, you need to change. The only way to change is by increasing your customer service levels or eliminating bad customer practices altogether. This will immediately create a new level of customer satisfaction.
So, now you can see what does the new customer experience looks like. You need to create a better level of customer service. You need to treat your customers like royalty. If you do those two things you will see an increase in your profits. And, as they say; “If it is not broke, don’t fix it!”
As a bonus for all that hard work, you might also want to consider changing your logo. It doesn’t matter what you have on your website or in your store. People have a hard time remembering what the last company they saw was. You want to change it to something that stands out and causes a reaction.
The last thing you want to think about is your branding. A strong brand represents your company. Without it, your customers will not associate your brand with anything positive. This will cause them to do a lot of research before they make that purchase. They are going to compare your prices, services, products, and location with others in your area or state. They are going to find the best deal they can for the most cost-efficient product or service and they are going to tell everyone.
If you are trying to think of what does the new customer experience looks like you should take a look at the things customers tell others and then you should do your research and build upon their comments. The more information you gather about your company and the service you provide the better prepared you will be to answer any questions they may have. It is important that you never take your customers for granted. Always offer them quality service, great products, and a fast and easy-to-use process so that they come back over again.
