Timing is Essential in the Customer Experience

In baseball, timing can me the difference between being sent down to the minors or being enshrined in Cooperstown. Timing is just as important in cultivating relationships with new and even existing customers. Having worked for AT&T and Comcast, I was well aware of the ins and outs of the communications industry from my times in the trenches in call centers, network operations, being a fulfillment supervisor, resolving corporate escalations, developing training content for new employees, and in my last role at Comcast where I supported both the customer experience and employee experience of NPS for Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Recently, I received two examples. One that hits the mark and and another that fell short.

Freed's Bakery has been in business since 1959 and has been on countless shows for their amazing cake designs. I recently ordered a cake for my father's 80th birthday (don't tell him!) and after the standard order confirmation, I received a welcome message from the third generation family run bakery. They had me as an Net Promoter System (NPS) promoter from the subject line; "Dwayne, you're what makes us great!" In my firsthand knowledge as a former customer experience professional, I know customers and even employees, will leave if they don't feel valued.

Cox Communications has been around since 1962 and Cox Enterprises goes back to 1898. My personal experiences with Cox Communications went in from being an NPS Promoter to NPS Detractor. On the day of my install, a contractor for Cox canceled my order as he saw in the notes I had specifically asked for an in-house technician. Four calls into Dispatch, they wanted to have me reschedule for another day. Five hours past the scheduled arrival window a tech arrived and set the service up. Although I don't recall any positive or welcoming communications. Each month, I shook my head when I received notices on my data usage percentage and being informed how was was remaining and the possible penalties for going over. I mentioned earlier timing is everything. Each month like clockwork, I continued to receive these notices AFTER my billing cycle had already ended! This is a missed opportunity for these monthly notifications to be useful BEFORE the billing period ends.

Regardless of your industry, timing is essential in cultivating the customer experience. Don't swing and miss with your customers. Take a moment to decide whether the communications you are providing to your customers are both relevant and timely.