Today we will walk through the Customer’s journey in a food service industry store, in search of the several points the client can touch before, after and during his lunch, breakfast, dinner or his ice cream. We will hypothesize what expectations the customer can have towards the brand, pointing out the weakness he can see. Additionally, we will suggest exemplifying indications of which opportunities arise in order to improve his experience so much to attract him to go back to the store and to become an ambassador of the format, of the service, of the menu and, more in general, of the company’s offer.
When a customer chooses a brand in the food service industry, the touchpoints he can meet according to the path he follows are so many and different (a complete map includes more than a hundred touchpoints). For this reason, we will consider here a list of the main and most evident ones. We will draw a clear, even though simplified, picture. The crucial point is that each of the weakness experimented can cause the customer to leave and never go back (after all, there are so many restaurants in town!).
On the other side, the first step in exceeding customer expectation is to be on the opportunities to surprise him. Then he will become a store and brand and he will be ready to tell its wonders to friends and colleagues.
So, let’s start!
As previously said, this is a quite simplified picture but the point is that each of these weaknesses can cause the store (and consequently the brand!) to lose the customer. Yet, unsatisfied and unhappy clients can report their bad experiences to other prospects.
The ultimate goal of a serious and effective work on touchpoint mapping and, with that, on the experience offered in each of them is to make the customer a promoter of your own business: to make him go back and make his word of mouth not only not negative but even enthusiastic!
Clearly, it is not only about comprehending customer’s expectations and meeting his deep desires and needs, but it is also about settling the boundaries in which redefining his Customer Experience, with the aim to surprise and excite him. In essence, knowing that the customer wants to be treated well is no longer enough. It is necessary to define what these words exactly mean on both a quality and quantity level.
Evidently, this kind of work is not completed with a “static” and exemplifying suggestions of arising “opportunities”, but it needs a deepened plan of action specific for each one’s own company.
Find out, evaluate and improve the experience your client lives in each touchpoint together with Italian Customer Intelligence: email us at info@italiancustomerintelligence.it
