The Customer Experience Ripple Effect

THE SITUATION:

62% of customers say their experience in one industry affects their expectations of other industries.

(Source: Salesforce, 2023)

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Modern customer relationships don’t exist in a vacuum. They aren’t confined by brand category, industry, or any other limiting factors. Rather, each individual customer experience, regardless of when and where it happens, is shaping expectations for all others. As seen in The Situation, the majority of customers are mindful of that ripple effect – and we should be as well.

This interconnected dynamic presents an opportunity to innovate and evolve by understanding customer wants, needs, and expectations beyond our immediate surroundings. We all have a chance to remove assumed boundaries and barriers to consider how external influences, both known and unknown, are shaping customer expectations. But it takes conscious and intentional effort to step back from our familiar surroundings in search of the bigger picture – and The Situation should provide motivation to do just that.

While there is certainly a pressing need to consider the effect of outside influences, I see this process as an opportunity rather than an obligation. One reason is, it’s fun and exciting. We get to tap into creative and outside-the-box thinking, challenge our own assumptions, and expand our perspectives. There is also potential for uncovering new paths to growth and development along the way. But perhaps most importantly, we’re taking an interest in what’s important to our customers, looking beyond just our own brands to understand their overall wants and needs. In doing so, we’re showing a deeper level of care and appreciation for the people behind the purchases, which will ultimately increase engagement and strengthen relationships.

THE CHALLENGE:

One key challenge of this type of exploratory process is detaching from our assumptions and challenging what we believe to be true. To learn new things, we must be open to new possibilities, which isn’t always easy. Often, our instinct is to stay consistently and collectively within a perceived realm of relevance. Especially when considering how direct and indirect competitors are influencing our customers.

But who we consider to be “competitors” may not be an exhaustive list. As shown by The Situation, virtually all customer experiences and brand interactions are relevant in some way. So, while a brand may not be a competitor in terms of product or service, they are still a competitor in terms of customer experience.

An additional challenge is keeping things focused and goal oriented. With so many potential influences to consider, it’s easy to lose sight of where we started and where we’re trying to go. While a primary goal is to broaden our perspective and learn something new, we still want our findings to be actionable based on our overarching brand development objectives. This requires a balanced approach that is open and flexible while also strategic and structured.

THE SOLUTION:

As a customer insights professional and enthusiast, it’s likely no surprise that my solution is built around gathering customer feedback. But, all things considered, this is the best source for understanding customer perspectives, experiences, and expectations. Since we’re exploring areas beyond our familiar surroundings, why not let them lead the way? In addition to gathering data-driven insights, the process of listening to our customers is a powerful relationship builder. People want their voices to be heard, and by giving them a voice we’re showing how much we care about them.

One of the challenges I mentioned is keeping things focused and goal oriented. While we want to explore beyond the familiar and remove boundaries, we need to do so strategically. This is still a fact-finding mission that ought to produce actionable results. So, think of it as a drill-down approach that starts with high-level understandings, then moves deeper into how and why those things matter. It’s about being exploratory in a controlled and structured manner.

A great way to accomplish these objectives is conducting a “Getting to Know You” survey. Not only will this provide opportunities to explore various factors and influences outside the immediate scope of your business, but it will keep the lines of questioning meaningful and relevant.

The overarching goal of a “Getting to Know You” survey is exactly as it sounds, getting to know customers and prospects on a deeper level. It captures insights related to lifestyle preferences, psychographics, interests, hobbies, etc. It also seeks to understand their individual goals, challenges, and pain points within the context of their day-to-day lives. These insights will enable you to see things from their perspective and get a better idea of how your brand (and others) fits within it.

Since this study focuses solely on the individual, without setting barriers specifically related to your brand or industry, there’s a sense of freedom regarding which questions are asked and which responses are provided. In relation to The Situation, you can dig into a respondent’s favorite overall brands, their best-ever experiences with those brands, and what made them so memorable. Your unbiased and open approach to posing such questions enables respondents to provide unbiased and open feedback. Equipped with those insights, you’ll gain a clearer picture of how other brands are meeting specific needs and shaping specific expectations, which will strengthen your own brand development efforts.

As an example, think about the financial and healthcare industries. Over the years, there have been radical changes in how companies connect and engage with customers – largely due to shifting customer expectations. However, those expectations which drove innovation and evolution weren’t necessarily set by competing finance and healthcare brands. Rather, they were likely expectations set by brands from other industries.

The companies and disruptors who stay ahead of the competitive curve are those who looked beyond their immediate surroundings to understand what customers want and expect from brands in general. Then, equipped with those insights, they find ways to incorporate the underlying expectation drivers in ways that make sense within their own businesses. It’s about innovation and evolution through understanding customers on a deeper level, exploring their bigger picture wants, needs, and expectations.

MY ADVICE:

While each individual survey will yield impactful results, there is tremendous value in incorporating “Getting to Know You” research as part of your broader customer insights strategy. At a high level, it provides opportunities to uncover emerging trends and potential competitors that may not have been on your radar. But then, you can incorporate those findings into other studies, digging deeper for next-level insights to bolster your customer personas, journey maps, and other assets related to customer experience development.

Furthermore, these surveys are versatile in terms of content and target audience. Since the goal is simply getting to know your customers, the potential topics and respondents are wide-ranging. From long-time loyalists to new customers and prospects, it’s never a bad time to ask people to share about themselves and there’s always something new to learn.

HOW WE CAN HELP:

As noted in The Challenge, these studies need to be both exploratory and structured. There needs to be open space to consider new perspectives within a strategic framework that produces actionable insights. Additionally, questions and responses are most impactful when they are unbiased and objective in their nature. Having outside support from a third-party research team can help ensure all those boxes are checked, as well as providing a fresh perspective to identify blind spots and uncover hidden potential.

From high-level strategic support to ground level tactical guidance, we at MacKenzie can maximize the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of your “Getting to Know You” feedback efforts. We are passionate about empowering brands with the data-driven insights needed to achieve long-term success, and we’d love a chance to show you what we can do!

YOUR TURN:

I’d love to see your comments and thoughts about the influence of other brands. Are you keeping an eye on how outside industries are affecting your customers’ expectations? Can you think of examples where experiences from one brand influenced your own expectations of another? Do you have any advice for someone looking to better understand their customers and prospects?

By sharing your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions, we’ll foster a collaborative community where actionable insights are the foundation and collective success is the outcome.

Do you have a stat, trend, or topic you’d like me to write about? Send me a message or share it in the comments. I’ll add it to my list of newsletter topics!