Too obvious? Don't scoff! The philosophy of customer experience management demands that we acknowledge the needs of our customers. I'd like to think that most organizations working toward the greater good understand this at some level, but the day-to-day challenges of paperwork, tight deadlines, and the constant pressure to do more with less can get in the way. Patti Hart, CEO of International Game Technology, in this Fast Company video, says customers "have the same joys and sorrows, and dreams and aspirations that each of us have... Think first about what your products and services mean to the person, not the customer."
Marketing professor Theodore Levitt famously said "People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole." Sorry to disagree with you, Prof, but I'm going to have to drill a little deeper (it's OK to groan). Are customers people walking around obsessing about a perfectly sized/shaped void? I don't think so. They want a quarter-inch hole because they're hanging a photo of their family--whom they love--in their new home--that they're proud to occupy. (To be honest, I tried coming up with some other emotionally-driven need for quarter-inch holes but I'm not very handy so please imagine whatever motivates you.) The point is that customers are real human beings with complex emotions and needs driving their decisions.
I suspect individuals at your organization, especially those closest to the customer, know what those needs are based on their experience. Empathy comes naturally to many people working in the social impact sector, but does it come as easily for organizations? Start by listening to your customers and those employees closest to them. Document those needs to create personas of your typical customers - but remember, we're all individuals, so don't assume you know the needs of your customers until you ask them.
This fundraiser I've dreamed up is all about raising funds for a worthy
cause--cancer--while giving donors a choice about where their
philanthropy goes. In essence: I walk, you choose. If you wish to honor
someone with a donation to a research organization, that's great! If you
want to memorialize a loved one with a donation toward direct care,
that's wonderful! You donate to a national or local organization, you
tell me about it, and I walk 5K with your names on my back on Mother's
Day.
Whoah. This is amazing and disruptive (in the awesome and innovative sense). The traditional walk/run/ride/pie-eating-contest paradigm is about to be blown away! Today's donors/supporters are savvy and demanding customers. They expect the organizations responsible for advancing their causes to act in consistent ways. My friend felt jilted by recent actions of one big organization but still felt compelled to raise awareness and funds for a cause she cares about, so she took matters into her own hands in a really earnest and heartfelt way. The "offending" organization is even still listed on her page of recommendations (you're free to chose whichever charity you deem worthy). I think she's on to something and I hope you'll support her.
When I was looking for a groovy video for this post (the kids and their short attention spans these days!), immediately Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walkin'"came to mind. Serendipity! Eureka! THIS IS THE PERFECT CUSTOMER-CENTERED THEME SONG! Is Nancy singing about enacting revenge on a cheating lover -- or the outrage (and subsequent joy in finding a replacement) that so many customers feel with a pattern of mistreatment from the companies that supposedly value their business? The full/real lyrics are here, but here's my customer experience translation of them:
My expectations weren't being met. You've lied and broke my trust. I deserve your best, but I'm not getting that. You messed up - multiple times. I've given you plenty of chances to correct your mistakes. Each time you say you're going to do better, but you don't. I see right through you. I know you think you can treat me however you want and I'll just stick around, but I can get what I need from another company. I will punish you for your multiple infractions by taking my business elsewhere and telling everyone about this bad experience. And BTW, my sassy friends in leotards are leaving with me!
The music tells a similar tale: The opening (and recurring) bass riff twangs away Nancy's disappoint in her customer experience. The same riff at the end is there but is overshadows by a slowly growing cadre of bright and shiny brass notes. Out of despair comes empowerment and joy, having found happiness with another!
Big crowd-funded awareness events are experiential marketing (though some of the nonprofits that administer them might not use those words), with the most important and first step occurring with engagement of supporters willing to solicit funds on your behalf, leading to walking/running/riding/eating-pies with a bunch of other people. If they had a bad experience, or you did something that is incongruous with their expectations, don't expect them to be as engaged, raise money/awareness, or show up on your perfect photo-op day.
Pay attention to your customers' experiences and expectations,or watch them walk (all over you).
