Rapid digital innovation is changing our behaviour and our needs. Customers expect not only an excellent product but also a seamless experience with companies.
We are in a time when new technology barely enters the public eye before the next one is ready to be welcomed. Changes happen incredibly fast, and generally, the expectation is that companies will keep up with this pace. No one wants to wait ten minutes for a taxi when Uber can have one at our door in three minutes. We call this the 'Uber effect'. Uber, along with many other forward-thinking companies, has created a new expectation pattern.
Expectations change, but human needs do not. So the question you must ask yourself if you want to innovate is how you can meet human needs in a novel way. During the lockdown of the coronavirus crisis, many people lived in isolation, and our need for connection became increasingly apparent. Many people worked solely from home, and we hardly saw our friends and parents. Many companies responded swiftly by launching online products or services so we could still stay connected. Did you have to miss your weekly game night with friends? The app Houseparty ensured you could easily do this online.
As many companies quickly develop new products and services, customer expectations and needs also change rapidly. Therefore, it's wise to continuously question what customers will expect next.
Know your customers
The challenge is primarily in optimally knowing your customer. Track what your customer does and analyse it. Do you regularly post blog articles online? Then also keep track of how often blog articles are read and how many likes or comments these articles receive. You can do the same with your emails or how often certain information is downloaded from your website.
There is also much to learn from the incoming phone calls, emails and chat messages. They show the questions your customers have and thus also indicate what your customers need. Additionally, don't hesitate to ask your customers how things are. Create a survey to help you find out what your customer's needs and expectations are.
Navigating through changing customer expectations
The companies that thrive in this new landscape are those that scrutinise every part of their business and then shift their focus based on customer needs and desires. How can you approach this? We offer you four tips.
Try to understand how and why expectations are evolving, both within and outside your industry. Anything that changes customer expectations has implications for your organisation.
Research how customer expectations are changing within your industry and try to find out how customers rate your organisation in this area.
Clearly communicate to all employees, whether they are in direct contact with customers or not, what a great customer experience looks like and what expectations arise with the customer. This will be something that needs to be addressed regularly with employees when new improvement points are identified, but also when there are primarily many successes.
Provide employees with the mindset, tools, and empowering environment they need to make a meaningful contribution. This ensures that customer expectations are consistently met. Often this requires some form of training, both for managers and other employees.
Customer expectations require a personal approach
The expectations and needs of your customers are essentially a collection of their previous experiences with your product or service. This makes expectations more personal than ever before. Personalisation is, therefore, the highest priority for organisations. However, it remains a continuous cycle: while companies continue to innovate and push preconceived boundaries, customers have better and better experiences, which set new benchmarks. A personalised customer experience is, therefore, the standard, not the exception, and is key to meeting customer expectations.
All things considered, it’s not a small task. You want to meet your customers' expectations and provide a seamless, personal experience. It is important to recognise that every part of your organisation can contribute to meeting customer expectations. Think about positioning, pricing, internal and external communication, uniforms, training, and the working environment. Put the customer's needs at the forefront of everything, and you'll see it’s worthwhile.
