When you run a business, you end up spending a lot of your time looking at the big picture—the direction in which your company is heading, the statistics that measure the health of your business, the state of your bottom line, etc. In the intensity of the day-to-day, it can be easy to forget how something seemingly minor—like waiting for an order or service appointment—can affect the individual customer.
The last mile of delivery, curbside pickup, or field service technician arrival is arguably the moment that matters most in your relationship with your customer. Customer satisfaction is won or lost in this leg of the journey. How your company handles this moment can make or break the customer relationship. You need a seamless process that gives customers visibility into where their delivery is, when their order will be ready for pickup, or when their service tech will arrive…a process that turns the last moments of order fulfillment into a relationship-building opportunity.
The experience you offer your customers should show them that you respect their time. According to Forrester research, 77% of customers say that valuing their time is the most important way a company can provide them with good service. How a customer feels during critical moments while engaging with your company is what forms the foundation of the customer experience. Offering a better customer experience in these moments can help you build lifelong relationships with your customers.
Scenario 1: Waiting for a Field Service Technician
Imagine you are a retail store manager who relies on internet for your POS system, keeping track of inventory, running credit cards, and so on. You come into work on what’s expected to be a busy Saturday only to find that the internet is out. You call your internet provider, and they give you the usual response—someone will be there somewhere within a four-hour block of time. No internet means you can’t access your inventory, you can’t receive online orders, and you can’t run credit cards. (You likely have those old-school carbon copy credit card swipers somewhere in the back, but let’s face it, none of your employees actually know how to use them). Waiting without knowing when to expect help is excruciating, especially when you know it could result in a major hit to sales.
When a customer is waiting for their service tech to arrive, they often feel anxious, unsure, and disrespected—especially when they aren’t getting updates from you. They need clear communication regarding when to expect their technician so they can make a game plan for their day. Essentially, they need to know that you see them and respect what they are going through.
The same is true for any customer waiting for a field service tech—not just a business. When a homeowner is waiting for the furnace to be fixed in frigid temperatures; when a commuter is waiting for roadside assistance; or when a family is waiting to have their refrigerator repaired…in all of these situations, your customer is in a holding pattern until their technician arrives, and they need to know you care.
Glympse uses digital engagement (plus AI and machine learning) to ensure customers aren’t waiting without knowing. Our solutions give customers a narrower, more manageable appointment window, as well as a live location and real-time ETA of their service technician when they’re en route. We minimize the amount of time field service customers spend waiting without knowing when their technician will arrive, so they can rest assured that help is on the way.
Scenario 2: Waiting for a Delivery
Next, imagine you are at home anxiously awaiting your package delivery. You’re excited about the new computer you purchased, and can’t wait to receive it. But since it’s an item that needs to be signed for, you can’t just go about your day and let the delivery driver drop it at your door. So you camp out at home waiting for it to arrive, constantly checking the tracking information for updates…only to miss the delivery because you had to run next door to help the neighbor with something, or you had to take a work call and couldn’t get to the door in time. Or maybe your package never arrives and the tracking just says “pending”. Now you’re stuck waiting another day for your delivery, and you feel inconvenienced, disappointed, and frustrated.
This is the opposite of what you want your customers to feel, right? Ideally, the online purchase and delivery experience should be seamless. And when issues arise that alter the delivery time, it should be swiftly and clearly communicated to your customer.
Today’s consumers not only want their goods shipped for free, they also want to know where their package is at all times during the shipping process. Truly, in today’s market, if you are not providing tracking information updated in real-time, you are well below the curve.
For the best customer care, always provide tracking information with realistic expectations. Communicate accurately when your customer can expect their package and provide the ultimate in last-mile visibility with real-time updates. This level of communication gives your customers greater peace of mind and the opportunity to make sure they’re available to receive their delivery.
Scenario 3: Waiting for a Curbside Pickup Order
Now imagine you are a mom pulling up to the store for a curbside pickup with your two children in tow. It’s your last stop of the morning before heading home for lunch, and the kids are hungry, cranky, and in desperate need of a nap (and come to think of it so are you). You park your car and make a quick call to let the store staff know you’re here to pick up your order. You’re hoping your order will be ready so you can grab it and go because you’re not sure the kids will hold out much longer. Unfortunately, you end up waiting what seems like an eternity before an employee finally brings out your order (at which point the kids are on their 47th fight and you’re ready to pull your hair out). While you’re glad to have your purchases, you leave frustrated and more stressed than when you arrived.
Curbside pickup has become a crucial element of customer service during the pandemic, and it’s a service that’s here to stay. Not all customers want to wait for shipping or have the time to stand in a long checkout line. Offering your customers the opportunity to buy online and pick up curbside can increase sales and provide the level of convenience your customers now expect.
But when orders aren’t ready at the moment the customer arrives, it creates congestion and negatively impacts the customer experience. Secure customer-to-business (C2B) location sharing can fix this problem. It provides clear visibility about your customer’s ETA and proximity so you can ensure you are always ready for your customer. Ideally, you should:
- Send a notification when the order is received and again when it is ready for pickup.
- Use a location tool like Glympse to have your customer share their location so you are ready for them the moment they arrive.
- Meet your customer curbside with their order and greet them by name.
Imagine the stress-relieving power of this type of customer interaction, versus the one described above. With a system this efficient, your customers will be happily on their way in no time, and they’ll be back again soon.
Glympse: Your Solution for Offering a Better Customer Experience
To offer the best experience for your customers, you need to build a customer journey that demonstrates respect for their time. Empower them to manage their journey on their own terms by proactively offering insight, information, and tools that give them better control of their experience. Help them make the most efficient use of their time by communicating clearly when they can expect their order to be ready, their package to be delivered, or their service tech to arrive so they can plan their day accordingly. Make sure they know where to go to verify those details (ideally without having to contact your call center), and communicate with them immediately if something on your end changes.
When you address the moments that matter well, you’ll have the opportunity to engage your customer over and over again. They’ll be happier and more likely to become a repeat customer because they know they can trust you in the critical moments of their journey.
Glympse can help you offer a better customer experience in the moments that matter. Contact us today to learn more!
