From The Editor | October 22, 2014

5 Keys To Mastering The Customer Experience

Sarah Nicastro

By Sarah Nicastro, publisher/editor in chief, Field Technologies
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Competition is fierce. Products are commoditized. Automation technologies and tools are now attainable for just about any size company. So how do you set your organization apart in today’s complex service landscape? By focusing your efforts on mastering the customer experience.

I watched a presentation by Jimmy Byrd, president of Ledcor Technical Services, at ClickConnect recently, that provided some great insight on this topic. Ledcor realizes that the only way to win today is to use all of the skills, tools, and effort you have on giving your customers what they want and making sure they’re happy — that’s the only way for a service organization to win today.

According to Byrd, below are five areas where Ledcor focuses on its customer experience efforts, followed by my thoughts on each:

  • “Provide service to them when they want it.” Today’s customers aren’t patient — they want the job done now. How can you offer options to them, and how can you minimize service windows? Flexibility and urgency are two key aspects of service.
  • “Focus on the first-time fix.” What’s worse than providing a painfully long service window? Not getting the job done while you’re there. Firsttime fix is critical to customer satisfaction. Focus on it!
  • “Exceed (not meet) expectations.” Many of your competitors can probably meet your customers’ expectations, too. So how do you go above and beyond? According to Byrd, Ledcor focuses on identifying opportunities to add a personal touch. Determine ways to make your customers feel important and appreciated — it’ll pay off.
  • “Leave a superior aftertaste.” When your technician leaves a customer site, you want that customer to have a great impression of your organization and to be satisfied with your service — a superior aftertaste. This can be achieved in a number of ways, but one area we’ve discussed before is around soft skills. Make sure your techs are not only knowledgeable and able to get the job done right the first time, but also personable and friendly.
  • “Continuously innovate.” There’s no room for stagnancy in today’s service landscape. Always be thinking of what you can do better, how you can evolve further. New technologies, additional training, and new ways to engage your customers are all great areas of innovation to focus on — continuously.

It’s increasingly critical that the customer experience is at the core of your service strategy. Start with understanding exactly what your customers want, then focus your resources on meeting (and exceeding) their needs — you’re on your way to service success!