My last blog concerned the retail shopping experience and how, if done well, it can turn a shopper into a buyer. I’m going to share with you another experience I had recently, this one being a distressed purchase. In the automotive world we have customers who are potentially ‘distressed’ – no one really looks forward to having their car serviced and having to pay for it which is why the customer’s experience is everything.
My distressed purchase was optical – I needed an eye test. I’ll start by saying that the company involved (a well-known High Street brand) have a great CRM process. I was e-mailed and informed that it had been two years since my last eye test and to book an appointment -all of which could be done online by clicking a link in the e-mail. So far, so good.
And then it all started to unravel. Why? Because of the staff. I went into the shop at the agreed time (my partner had arranged her eye test at the same time too). We were told to sit and wait in an area that looked like a doctor’s waiting room; after an extraordinary wait (25 minutes later than the allocated time) I was put through the process – and it was utterly devoid of any ‘human’ moments. Interestingly (and without explanation) despite my appointment being before my partner’s she was seen first. During the wait we weren’t offered any refreshments or explanation of why it was taking so long. Despite being well-staffed nobody appeared to possess the ability to build rapport or create a guest experience.
At the conclusion of the tests I was informed that my prescription had changed, and I would need new lenses. I was then sat at a desk and subjected to one of the most amateur upsell attempts I’ve ever come across – apparently, I needed to buy glasses with a blue hint to them but wasn’t offered any comprehensible benefits to paying the (quite significant) extra money. I declined and £260 and an hour and a half later (that was just the lenses, I wasn’t entertaining the idea of buying frames) we left.
It got me thinking about our world in automotive. If we provide customers with a personalised service, explain to them clearly how our process works and how long things are going to take (but also gain a thorough understanding of what the customer wants, needs, expects and how our process will help them achieve these things) we should be able to deliver a first-class experience – this in turn drives loyalty and promotes referrals as well.
Based on my less than ‘express’ experience I’ll be taking my business elsewhere in 2 years’ time – I know where I should’ve gone…