Total Customer Experience covers the entire end-to-end
experience and not just user interface design. A retailer who understands that every single touch point is an opportunity to
strengthen or weaken their customer relationship advances from a transactional model to an interaction
model. A few years back customers were shouting out for improvements to
the end-to-end experience but no sooner has the retailer implemented a
customer-centric fulfillment strategy, integrated an eService solution or set up
regular communication during the order process that the customers' expectations
have shifted up a gear.
In a recent interview a customer, Kelly, told me "I expect
more than a number of emails telling me the status of my order, good delivery
and fancy packaging." Kelly
continued "I want more than a personalised experience. I want a humanised
experience." She wasn't alone in expressing her need for that human element. This message was delivered loud and clear by
a number of the participants in this user research programme.
Is it that technology can alienate some customers, so humanising
the user experience enables us to connect more emotionally? Perhaps all the individual interactions
through the end-to-end life cycle contribute towards our emotional feeling but
these emotions are more likely to connect with a humanised experience.
One participant, Jonah, felt this emotional connection was
dependent on "there being evidence of a pulse beating behind the online
store."
If your company sells a great product your customer might
remember you, but the likelihood is they will remember the product. If you give them a positive emotional feeling
then they will remember you.
Another participant, Lucy, referred to these emotional
connections as the wonderfully titled "warm fuzzy feelings".
To illustrate this emotive connection here is my personal
experience of this so-called warm fuzzy feeling.
I ordered the Black+BlumTime
Square, a multifunctional memo board which features a blackboard, clock and
magnet board. When I unpacked it from several layers of protective packaging I
revealed some chalk scribbles on the blackboard. It read 'hi Rich, enjoy'. The fact that someone
had carefully unpacked the memo board, scribbled the personal message in chalk,
and then meticulously re-packaged it so it still looked brand new gave me
plenty of warmth and fuzz. This was a charming touch that gave me an instant
emotional connection with the store. I could provide further examples but it would be good to hear
your experiences of what it took to emotionally connect you?
If humanising User Experience becomes a competitive necessity
then retailers need to move beyond computer generated personalisation and add
that human touch. Experiences no longer
would be cold digital experiences but offer a warmer humanized experience where
the human elements feel more dominant than the technology.
P.S.
Conchango are recruiting! If any of my ramblings interest you and you
are passionate about User Experience the we'd like to hear from you.
Why not contact me and let's have a chat?
Listening to: Kosmischer Pitch by Jan Jelinek