The potential downside of staying in one place for too long is that you become accustom to a specific perspective. I once heard it said that, “If you are use to seeing a birds-eye-view, then be sure to make an effort to get a worm’s-eye-view.”
We are currently working on a project to create graphics for a store display. While POP (point-of-purchase) is something that we have done before, this particular project has the added element of integrating motors to create movement in the displays. It has been quite a journey to research, test, and design with a completely new format in mind.
Going through this process has resulted in getting a fresh perspective on the customer experience. Usually, the only time we find ourselves in the role of customer is when we are working with our print vendors, which are either one of the trusted vendors we have an established relationship with or our client’s vendor. In both of those cases, we know the questions to ask in order to ensure a smooth transition to production. Ultimately, the handoff of files has felt more akin to a partnership, rather than a customer transaction.
However, in working on this display project, we definitely stepped into the role of John & Jane Customer in an industry that is brand new to us. As a result, we were reminded of some fundamentals that we thought may be helpful to share.
As with most new endeavors, the initial research in a new field can be overwhelming. False starts, dead ends, and various tangents can be the death of a project. Fortunately we persevered and were able to identify 3 companies that had a variety of battery-powered motors that could create a series of movements for our project.
It’s the Goldilocks Approach, one company doesn’t give anything to compare, two feels a little narrow, while three is just right.
For the purposes of this article we aren’t going to identify company names, because it’s not really about us reviewing or recommending a vendor. Instead, we want to talk about the fundamentals of interacting with clients/customers, with an eye toward reminding us of the customer perspective so we can better serve them.
Customer Service
It always sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s astounding to see how some companies approach customer service. This fundamental knocked Vendor A out of the running pretty early in the process. As we tried to dialogue with them about the capabilities of the motors, the pricing, and obtaining potential demo units, they were slow to respond, sometimes taking several days to provide answers for fairly basic questions. Which brings us to our first question in looking at the customer perspective:
What is your response time to client questions?
While some information may take some time to compile, are there standard questions that you regularly get asked? If so, consider putting together a cheat sheet that you can either send out or quickly reference to answer questions in a timely manor. Another possibility if you are hearing certain questions repeatedly is to create an FAQ section for your website to address them.
For more involved questions that may take some digging, make sure that you reply to let the person know that you have received their inquiry and are in process of putting together the information they need.
Understanding your clients and what they need to succeed is key to providing excellent customer service.
A need that we identified early on was the importance of getting our hands on some actual motors. As soon as we mentioned the possibility of getting some kind of sample pack Vendor B was extremely accommodating.
They offered to send us a whole kit of various motors to see what was possible, plus they included other accessories that we weren’t even aware of. When their package was delivered, it exceeded our expectation for what we thought we would be getting. (always a good indication of savvy customer service)
The experience with Vendor C was not quite the same. For some reason, they seemed very hesitant when we started asking about samples. As we continued to discuss the possibilities, it came out that they were leery of people getting free samples with no intention of purchasing. Obviously, they had some bad experiences in the past that they hadn’t quite worked through.
Once we convinced them that we were legitimately needing samples of motors to work through designs for the displays they became more accommodating. However, having to work so hard did impact our interaction with them, which brings us to another questions:
What hurdles do clients have to navigate when working with you?
It’s important to have process and procedures, because it can be just as damaging if a client is given no boundaries or limits to work within. However, make sure that there are good reasons for process and that ultimately you are communicating this process clearly so that the client has the right expectations.
Seeing Things With Fresh Eyes
As a design company, we are constantly surrounded by the terms and topics that are relevant to our industry. However, it is important not to lose sight that our clients do not share that same perspective and it is our job to create a bridge with the client as we communicate about their project.
Since this was our first time working on a project like this we had a lot of questions.
How did the motors work and how did they connect to the display?
How much do they weigh and what kind of weight could they accommodate?
How long do the batteries last?
Can you adjust the speed?
Plus, we had the nagging question — what are we not asking because we didn’t even know to ask!?
Keeping in mind the client’s view can help reduce friction in their experience and build trust.
The package that Vendor B sent included a flash drive containing videos of a person demonstrating how each motor worked, plus they had additional videos on their site showing examples of final displays using the various motors.
This was hugely beneficial as we were creating concepts for our graphics. It helped us to see what was possible and as a result we started figuring out creative ways to use the motors and provide solutions that our client was very excited about.
Vendor C did have animated gifs that showed the movement of the isolated motor piece, however, not being able to see it in the context of the display was a challenge. In addition, while it was clear how some of the motors would connect to the display, it wasn’t nearly as clear with others. This resulted in limitations in the ideas we had regarding how to implement the motors.
Vendor B seemed to take the perspective that the user may not have a lot of experience in this area. They provided a variety of materials that enabled us to walk through the options at our own pace, while letting us know that they were available for questions or support at any point in the process.
Are you aware of your client’s challenges and do you provide solutions to solve those problems?
This was a good question for us to reflect on. Our clients represent a variety of industries and therefore the needs they have and challenges they face can vary greatly. With some of our clients we had a very clear sense of those challenges, but with others it’s not nearly as easily seen.
It’s good to periodically audit your relationship with your clients, because it’s easy to default to autopilot in how we operate. How much better it is when you to identify areas that are lagging and proactively make adjustments or initiate a conversation to address those areas.
It has definitely been fun working with our designs in a new way and we will certainly be putting together a future case study of this whole process. Although, if you are interested here’s a video of an early prototype that shows our first steps in working with motors.
We hope that these observations from a customer perspective has either helped to reinforce what you do or maybe helped shine a light on gaps in your process and given ideas on how to address it.
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