In order to run a good business, you have to think like the consumer of said business. No one constructs a cinema, for example, without thinking about viewing angles, the ease by which to find seats, and what refreshments would be most popular for an audience buying their ticket and snacks.
But of course, it’s not just positives that drive business decision-making. It’s also what we’re trying to avoid. As such, going through like as a consumer, service-user, client and customer is valuable, especially if you focus on what annoys you. That level of aggravation might not seem like an enjoyable experience, and it’s true. Of course, you shouldn’t hyper-fixate on every issue, some negatives can be considered good in a way. For example, most people implicitly understand that waiting for their meal in a restaurant is part of the experience, not an annoyance of wasted time.
So, how can you leverage aggravation as a useful tool for planning your business? In this post, we hope to explore three stark examples:
Payment Issues
One of the most frustrating experiences for any customer is dealing with payment issues. After all, deciding to use a business is the ultimate achievement from a company’s point of view, and so any friction from that point on is usually negative unless implemented for security reasons.
A convoluted checkout process, hidden fees, or declined transactions are incredibly annoying, and these hiccups can quickly turn a pleasant shopping experience into a nightmare. As a business owner, it’s crucial to streamline the payment process, especially with low rate credit card processing, and eliminate any potential sources of annoyance. If you encounter that as a consumer, you know what to do.
Forgotten Preferences & Repetition
Have you ever had to re-enter your preferences or personal information every time you visit a website or make a purchase? It’s a frustrating experience that can quickly sour a customer’s perception of your business. Customers expect a seamless, personalized experience, and having to repeatedly provide the same information can feel like a waste of time and effort. Even if it’s just setting which are your favorite products that you purchase regularly, or saving address information securely, make sure to encourage repeat buys by making that process easier each time. It has an effect.
The Context Of In-Person Communication
Customers often find themselves frustrated by impersonal or scripted interactions, feeling like they’re just another number in a sea of transactions. Of course, that’s what they are, but no one wants to feel like that.
If you’ve had a bad experience, you might prioritize training your employees in effective communication skills, empathy, and situational awareness. You can encourage them to actively listen to customers, pick up on nonverbal cues, and tailor their responses. Giving them autonomy to select one of a few solutions is a good start.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to learn from aggravation, and no doubt curate a wonderful business that focuses on removing aggravation as and when it occurs, using your own hardships as vital learning strategies.