A recent customer experience led me to think about how customers don't always get it right...
We've all done it, clicked 'purchase', entered our payment details and clicked 'confirm' - only to realise that we've made a daft mistake. The wrong date, the wrong venue, the wrong timeslot.
It should be an easy fix?
Contact Customer Service, a quick chat with a helpful rep and they'll change the details for you. Worst case, cancel the order and buy again. I did this the other day, ordered some tickets for an exhibition online, as soon as I confirmed, I realised I'd booked for the Friday, and I wanted the Monday.
My mistake.
Contacted a rep, who was incredibly polite but couldn't edit my order, cancel my order or refund my order. The Terms and Conditions I'd clicked, allowed for no changes or cancellations, his hands were tied.
I suspect I could have pressed on, complained, made a big deal of it - but a £15 purchase didn't warrant a massive issue. I repurchased for the correct day, and now I have a spare ticket which I'll give to someone as a gift.
The poor Customer Experience left a sour taste.
Customers will make mistakes, a good Customer Experience will allow them a way to recover from a mistake without being punished for it.
As you walk your Customer Journey and analyse the emotions a customer might feel, it's worth considering the mistakes they might make and the exceptions those create and then consider how your policies and processes create a good impression in those situations.
Costco has a legendary returns policy, anything can go back (except electronics) as long as you have the receipt - which even allows for mistakes or buyers remorse.
Should your Customer Experience include a way for customers to make mistakes?
After all, the customer isn't always right.
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