How Is Your Customer Experience Evolving?
By Laurie Petersen
Customer expectations are not standing still so neither can customer experience. The next decade will bring even more disruption as digital transformation informs it all.
At its recent summit, Adobe EVP and General Manager Brad Rencher outlined what an "experience business" looks like through the eyes of the customer.
An "experience business" will:
- Know me and respect me. It anticipates what I want before I even ask for it and is a caretaker of my privacy.
- Speak in one voice, always in context. The marketing, sales, support and product teams sound the same way.
- Make technology transparent. It lets the consumer set the terms for our transaction and doesn't make it about the technology.
- Delight me at every turn. It knows that today's experience will wow me now but disappoint me tomorrow.
Rencher offered examples of where the customer experience velocity is highest.
Soon, the least interesting thing about your car will be that you can drive it, Rencher noted, as increased connectivity, ride sharing and autonomous cars create upheaval in the automotive industry.
"Cars are an extension of us (and are) now becoming the ultimate experience pod," he said. Before you even sit in your car, you can set the temperature with an app and tune in a playlist. As the father of a teenager, he values the ability to set speed and geographic limitations for the young driver in the house.
The iconic Mercedes brand is no longer about engineering, steel, leather, or a logo, he added. The Mercedes Me App provides an ecosystem of entertainment and more connected personalized experience. As Mercedes invests heavily in autonomous vehicles, future models will handle 80% of the driving tasks.
In the travel industry, Carnival is transforming the experience of cruising with its Ocean Medallion. This wearable device offers access to personal activity plans and alerts, keyless door entry, and a means to find where your family members are on the ship. The program sets sail in November with a larger rollout planned for 2018.
"The catalyst was their data foundation," Rencher said.
Meanwhile, the ninja in the world of retail is Domino's pizza with its revolutionary Pizza Tracker that lets you keep tabs on the progress of your pizza from the time it is made to its arrival at your doorstep. Customers can also send text messages to their pizza team all along the way. More than 60% of the company's orders now come through its app and website.
Domino's is also becoming the Internet of Pizza by finding new ways through connected devices to improve the experience, Rencher added. You can order through voice on Alexa, Facebook Messenger, texting or tweeting a pizza emoji. You can also order through smart watch, Samsung TV, or from your car with Ford sync.
Source
"How Is Your Customer Experience Evolving?" MediaPost, 4/24/17.