Insight #1: Generalizations and averages keep executives out of touch.

80% of company executives believe they provide a “superior customer experience”. A mere 8% of their customers agree.  — Bain & Company, 2005

What's going on here? How could executives be so clueless about the customer experience they provide? Here's why: Most companies keep score with generalizations and averages.

About generalizations, consider this example: As I drop off the keys to my rental car, the clerk asks if I would recommend their company to a friend (the classic NPS question). I respond with a quick "sure", but that doesn't mean I didn't notice the clerk's rumpled shirt, that the directions from the front desk were useless and that I waited 10 minutes in to the cold only to get a car that smelled like a dog. "Sure" is an upbeat word that doesn't capture the details of what actually occurred.

As for averages, by definition, they obscure the details. For instance, half of your customers could think your customer experience is great, while the other half think it's miserable. But things won't look too awful because overall, you'll get a passing grade. A low "B" average hides the customers who hate your company—and will never buy again.

Discover the 7 ways customer satisfaction surveys deceive, and what we do to ensure accuracy. Get our 15 min. customer satisfaction demo. 

Interaction Metrics Customer Service Solution: Process Metrics.
We use process metrics that track the moment-by-moment details of customer effort, sentiment and advocacy. Working at this level of detail (instead of with averages) helps us uncover the keys to more compelling customer experiences.

Insight #2: The customer experience varies depending on your point of view.

While customer satisfaction surveys (by necessity) have a narrow focus, the fact is, the customer experience is a rich constellation of events and motivations. Bluntly, the customer experience is about a lot more than just you. It's about what your competitors and comparable companies are doing; it's also about expectations set by social media and reviews.

Moreover, the customer experience scores differently depending on your perspective. For instance, your customer experience could be great when compared in the marketplace but shoddy when evaluated against your brand standards. Bottom line: there's not one, single customer experience, rather there are many customer experiences, and all angles are worth investigating.

Interaction Metrics Customer Service Solution: Multiplicity.
Our clients get the whole picture because we provide a wide variety of benchmarks and indicators. 

Insight #3: The best customer service always adds more value.

When interacting with your customers, whether that's answering questions or ringing up sales, there is an endless well of value you can tap into. Sadly, these opportunities are often missed. For example, customer service associates can discourage sales and confuse customers with vague answers or they can inspire customer confidence with clear and complete information. Likewise, associates can treat transactions as a chore or they can embody your brand by turning simple exchanges into unique, memorable moments.

We find many companies don't expect enough from their associates and so they deliver the same lackluster experiences that happen everywhere. Think of adding value this way: when customers enter your store, the disinterested associate who barks "how you doin' today?" is wasting everyone's time. Finding a more helpful and genuine question that suits the unique environment of your store is one quick way to unlock the potential of that interaction.

Interaction Metrics Customer Service Solution: Interaction Thinking.
At Interaction Metrics, we practice Interaction Thinking. Interaction Thinking recognizes that each and every contact can add value, whether that's about brand-building, cross selling or matching customers to relevant products and services. Using concrete examples we show your associates how to go the extra step and do more with their customer interactions.