#MicroMoments

Are we entering a world where instant is the new standard in engagement with customers?

Google is conducting a livestream event this Thursday, June 11, to discuss #MicroMoments and how brands can capitalize on this behavior. According to Google, we now live online and we engage with brands in micro moments and those moments add up to a relationship. Brands that understand this behavior and build to capture minds and hearts of consumers by being there the instant consumers need attention are the brands that will take the lead.

Many brands are currently just tapping into the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools that allow for relationship building based on behaviors on the web sites and within emails. And now, the trend appears to be leaning toward these #MicroMoments as Google so aptly describes them. What is a brand to do?

Brands that are already built around the customer have the advantage here. It will be difficult for brands that are not customer-centric to fully take advantage of these micro moments because they are not currently putting the customer first. That must be the first step or #MicroMoment efforts will fall flat.

On the other hand, those brands that are driven by the customer will be the ones to watch and see how they continue to build loyalty by utilizing these micro moments to further the bond between them and their customers. For them it is merely another way of enhancing the relationships they have already built.

#MicroMoments may be a new way to engage with consumers but building trust is still the goal. Brands who are already building this trust are better equipped to take advantage of this new battleground.

houston@figment-consulting.com

3 Free Ways to Improve Customer Service

1. Smile.

Don't just grin but smile.

2. Give the customer your full attention when you utter the words, "Can I help you?"

Stop writing. Stop putting paper away. Stop whatever it is you are doing that takes your attention away from the customer standing in front of you.

3. Convey excitement in your voice.

"Can I help you?" can take on so many different connotations depending upon how you say it. Say it with enthusiasm and you can set the tone for the customer interaction.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The customer is always right.

Unless they are wrong.

Then, the real question becomes, "How do you handle the fact that they are wrong, yet believe they are right?"

The answer to that question depends upon the horizon you have with your customers. Do you look at profitability as a requirement for each and every sale? Or, do you look at the long-term value of the customer spread out over months or years (multiple sales) as opposed to each transaction individually?

The answer also depends upon your customer-service mission. Are you customer-obsessed like Amazon, or are you more like Comcast where customers (even long-term good customers) tend to get in the way of efficiency and more profitability?

Take time to determine your customer horizon and your customer-service mission. Doing so will help you align your efforts with your message and be more authentic to those you wish to serve.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Moe's Southwest Grill - Pavlovian conditioning leads to greater tips.

Moe's Southwest Grill is a Mexican cuisine restaurant that allows you to walk down the buffet-style line and have them prepare your meal for you. Their food is fresh, the servings are large, and the taste is good.

What fascinates me though is the use of peer pressure in order to increase the tips they receive. You see, their servers never leave their space behind the counter, yet they work hard to prepare your meal the way you want it. So, as you make your way toward the register, you continually hear this little bell each time a customer pays -- or, at least you should if you want to be part of the tribe.

You see, each time a customer leaves a tip, the person at the register rings the bell and all the employees yell out a robust "thank you" for the tip.

Talk about peer pressure -- would you want to be the next in line and not leave a tip? It's a classic case of the Pavlovian effect of conditioning. And while I have not been able to determine the exact rate at which customers leave tips, the tip jar is always full.

Next time you eat at Moe's, pay attention to how many times the bell rings. Then, look at the tip jar in the next Subway you go into and notice the difference.

The cost of the bell? Probably $1. The return on investment? Priceless.

houston@figment-consulting.com