Customer experience has fast become a top priority for businesses and 2019 and beyond will be no different. But, why are so many companies focusing on the customer experience? And what happens to companies that choose to ignore it?
When it comes to washing cars, some would think it’s all simply about getting a clean vehicle in and out as soon as possible. However, the full experience of your wash can make or break a customer in no time flat. Whether you’re a self-serve location, in-bay automatic, or a full service wash, experience is key when it comes to not only earning new customer trust, but keeping that trust throughout the wash process.
WashCard has nearly 30 years of focusing on loyalty and creating loyal customers, but even we see the change that needs to happen within the industry. Customers will stay loyal due to the experience they receive, not necessarily the discounts you can provide. With this in mind, WashCard is creating new ways to change the customer experience for you. It’s not JUST about a clean car. It’s about the smiling faces, equipment that works, bays that are well maintained, and if things should go wrong, there is someone to correct the problem in a timely manner.
A Walker study found that by the year 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
Customer experience is your customers’ perception of how your company treats them. These perceptions affect their behaviors and build memories and feelings to drive their loyalty. Have you ever had a poor first time shopping experience and then later said “oh let’s PLEASE go back there!”? Whether it was online, or in store? I am going to guess it’s a very rare occurrence.
So, if your customers like you, and continue to like you, they are going to do business with you and recommend you to others. In doing so, they will spend more.
How much you ask?
Well, customers are willing to pay a price premium of up to 13% (and as high as 18%) for luxury and indulgence services, simply by receiving a great customer experience.
So, how do you build a great experience for your car wash? Let’s take a look at a few quick tips.
FIRST, CREATE A GREAT ON-SITE WASH EXPERIENCE!
And I don’t mean is it all warm and fuzzy. But, is it well lit? Are there clear and consistent messages with how to use equipment? Does the customer clearly know they are at YOUR wash? What are you doing to set your on-site experience apart from your competitors? A really easy way to figure this out is simply go to your car wash and look around. Use your own equipment. Then, go to your competitors and look around, get a wash, see what their experience is like on-site and grow from that. Make changes based on things you find to be a positive experience.
SECOND, CREATE A GREAT ONLINE EXPERIENCE!
Is the messaging consistent with your on-site information? Does it have the same branding? Can it be easily navigated? How are you providing customer service through your online channels? These are huge points to make sure you cover when it comes to creating a great customer experience. If a customer has an issue and can easily reach out to you online or over the phone, they are much less likely to leave a bad review on Google. Being that is one of the number one ways people search for the next place to spend their dollars, you certainly don’t want or need that to happen.
THIRD, WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS SAYING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?
Customers are your lifeline. You should be listening to them. The good, and the bad. This can mean reviewing your own reviews online, sending surveys to understand what customers like or dislike, or having someone on site to be listening and understanding what your customers are saying. Making a few small changes based on customer feedback can really make the difference when it comes to the unique customer experience you are providing. Because when it comes down to it, beating your competitor on price doesn’t put more in your pockets at the end of the day.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FAIL TO PROVIDE POSITIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES?
Simple. They will be frustrated, leave your business, and potentially never come back. There are a lot of data points to back this up.
With 89% of businesses soon to be expected to compete mainly on customer experience, organizations that take customer experience seriously will stand out from the noise and win loyal customers over.
There are a ton of data points around the customer experience and how companies aren’t using any of that data to improve the customer experience. Partially because sifting through the insane amounts of data for your business can be difficult and time-consuming, but also because the tools available to help sift through that data are few and far between. While this is true, it is still important to try and look through some of the information you have available to find ways to improve your overall customer experience.
So, whether you have a self-serve location, automatics, or a tunnel, the experience you provide can create customers for a lifetime. It can create customers who recommend your name without asking them to. It can make your customers believe in your business. That right there is worth more than any loyalty program, discount, or coupon code you could provide.
Want to learn more about how WashCard can help you improve your customer experience? Email [email protected] for more information!