For ages, the golden rule in the business and hospitality industry has been: “The customer’s perception is your reality.” This powerful mantra sums up the essence of how organisations position themselves, how they are perceived, and what stories are shared. Changing perception is easier said than done. What’s crucial are reliability, a strong focus on customer needs, and a continuous commitment to delivering quality.
The harsh reality of customer experience
Customer experience determines the success of your business. No matter how much time, energy, and money you invest in optimising your product or service, if your customer has a less-than-positive experience, then that is the reality you have to deal with. When customer perception lags, the customer journey very likely shows gaps at the various touchpoints – between the promise you make as a company and the quality the customer actually experiences. Eventually, this may even compromise the reliability of your product or service.
Reliability is key to building and maintaining a positive customer perception. Whether it concerns the top quality of your products, great services, or your communication style – consistency is invaluable. Consistency builds trust and ensures that customers feel they can rely on you. This is also essential for building long-term relationships. But how do you work on reliability in a targeted way? And how can you involve your customers in that process?
Building the desired image
Building a positive company or brand image starts with understanding the needs, expectations, and preferences of your customers, clients or guests. Customer research that asks the right (in-depth) questions provides relevant insights and identifies both positive and negative customer experiences. Based on this valuable feedback, you can make targeted improvements and create a culture in which customer satisfaction is your main goal. And, if you also manage to link your core values to measurable promises, you will give your people the tools they need to really make a difference in personal and/or company services. As the management, the better you are able to convey these values to your employees, the more likely the customer experience will meet the quality your organisation strives for.
In other words, “The customer’s perception is your reality” is not some hollow phrase. It is a guiding principle that can help achieve success in any industry. By putting the customer first, actively listening to their stories and striving for consistently high quality and service, you create the foundation for sustainably successful operations. Remember: “The customer’s perception is indeed your reality.”
Would you like to know more about how to build an optimal customer experience in a targeted way? And how qualitative research contributes to that? Contact us, we’d love to tell you more!