If you have been to a Disney theme park, you know about standing in long lines. There are also signs that tell you how long your wait will be. Guests like this.
When you use Uber or Lyft for transportation, they not only tell you how long before your driver arrives, they also show you a map where you can track how close (or far) the driver is from where you are waiting.
When you order anything from Amazon, you receive at least three emails. The moment you place an order, you receive an email confirmation. Another email shows up in your inbox to let you know your order has shipped. And then, another email is sent once the order arrives, sometimes with a picture of the box sitting on your porch. This is one of the reasons customers love Amazon.
Let’s stick with Amazon for a bit longer. It’s not really the multiple emails that customers love. It’s the information. And why is this information important? There are two (at least) byproducts from these emails that can’t be ignored.
- The first is confidence. Without confidence, why would a customer want to do business with a company again? Confidence also comes from a predictable experience.
- The second is eliminating – or at least reducing – anxiety. This takes confidence to a higher level. The sharing of information gives customers a sense of control.
In all three examples – Disney, Uber and Amazon – there is communication. Even if it’s over-communication, customers are drawn to companies that provide information that reduces their anxiety, whether they know it or not. And once a customer experiences the pleasure of an anxiety-free experience, again, whether they know it or not, they may question why they would consider doing business with a competitor.
Not all customers will realize this right away, unless you tell them. Consider making it part of your value proposition. Nordstrom did this with their extremely liberal and hassle-free return policy. Lifetime warranties on products give customers confidence and reduce anxiety because they know will be taken care of if there is a problem.
For my entire career I’ve preached that good customer service and customer experience sets you apart from the competition. CX is table stakes. Customers want to do business with nice, knowledgeable people. Take that to the next level by being easy and convenient to work with, in essence, eliminating friction. And now I want you to consider the next step. Find ways to reduce and eliminate anxiety. When you put all three of these together – great service, convenience and low or no anxiety – you have a CX triple threat!
