Is the experience you create for you customers a Great one of not so good – It’s up to you, but make sure you fully understand the impact.
At the end of last month, I had invited Mark Bradley to speak at the YC Change event at the CIH event in Harrogate. Mark is one of the UK’s most insightful and entertaining business speakers and he was speaking on the importance of the Customer experience in the Public Sector.
Mark told the story about a friend of his who gets a critical illness policy from the Prudential, she puts it on the coffee table and comes back 10 mins later and her two young kids had crayoned all over it in huge scribbles. In a panic she rings the PRU and a nice lady called Ann takes all her details, and reassures her that everything will be OK and they will issue her another policy document, that they will send it by recorded delivery, and that if it doesn’t arrive in 48 hrs to give her a call. The next day when it arrives she opens the A4 envelope an she takes out the new document as well as a colouring book and 2 sets of crayons. A great example of how creating a situation where staff are empowered to create a great customer experience.
Compare this story on my experience with Allianz Insurance. Whose website claims “Allianz makes every effort to provide you with a market leading claims service and to make the claims experience as simple and as fair as possible“.
I was unfortunate enough to have to be cut out of my car after being rear-ended whilst stationary. After 14 weeks and still chasing a resolution after broken promises, numerous calls and battles with Allianz they managed to live up to the terms in the policy and the replacement arrived. Had I not checked the policy, be prepared to push and chase Allianz would have settled with the finance company behind my back. I got fed up with regular phrases like “that’s not part of my processes”, “it’s not my responsibility”, “that’s not my fault …”. As a consequence, the new car arrived and I purchased my insurance from another provider and I am now telling everyone I can about my “Allianz” experience.
These two experiences highlight two extremes – one will have a hugely positive impact on the perception of Prudential and a hugely negative one for Allianz… I hope. Mark must have told the Prudential story wo well over a thousand people and I will use the Allianz one when I am speaking.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a very positive impact on how people perceive your business and very little budget – it’s all in the mind set you set in your staff.
You will shortly be able to listen to Mark’s session as the session will be available for download soon from www.ycchange.co.uk.
