Do you agree that any of us who continue to use a particular product or a service has some form of loyalty to that particular product or service or to the brand? If you disagree just look at the products from brands you use or consume. For example your mobile phone, how many of the same brand of phone have you owned? Or drinking a bottle or glass of soda, do you drink Coke or Pepsi?



In the real world we tend to be loyal to particular brands. Sometimes we ask ourselves why? Do we consciously remain loyal to a brand. There are of course scientific answer based on years of research,  most marketing professionals will use this to keep customers loyal. Having said that in the fast changing world of technology,  loyalty is as like the new mobile phone coming out… easily replaceable. In today's world how do we ensure a good customer experience considering that customers experiences one brand in many different ways? There are so many channels where and how we experience a product or a service  from media advertising to actual usage to when we have interaction with customer service, the question is how this promote a good customer experience and  for those who succeed to answer that question at what point that it translates to better profitability. Can anybody else emulate what Apple have done to customer service and profitability?

Taking a cue from T-Mobile, one of the largest and most successful mobile operators in the world, illustrates multiple touch points  as an input in to gaining better profitability.

When the product or service can be personalized and automated it can turn to huge opportunities. However before we get there it is important to ensure a very consistent customer experience across  multiple touch points. Touch points today start even before a customer uses a product or a service and touch point is no longer one-directional it is now a cycle.

To deliver consistent experience it is necessary to ensure that the brand values are communicated through this touch points. Consistent experience means not only consistent branding but ensuring good customer experience throughout the different touch points. For example on television advertising a brand promotes good quality of product enough to get a few customers, such good quality much be backed-up by wonderful experience when using such a product. However it does not stop there a great customer service is required to ensure that those unlucky to experience faults are treated in best possible way, like royalties. Pushing it a bit further why wait until a customer complains why not be proactive to ensure that customers are given the right feedback even before they can pick up the phone to call customer service? Will that not be a more delightful experience?

However providing the most wonderful customer experience does not stop there, it requires innovations and personalization. If we look at the most personal device we use as a touch point or channel, it is something we have with us everyday, we use it primarily for communications. Mobile Operators are very good in turning the phone as an excellent touch point using T-mobile again as an example, the figure below illustrates various channels used based on a single touch point.

Wouldn't it be perfect if as a user and requires customer service or support but do not have to wait very long on a queue to get a human agent on the other line? Or how about simply pressing a button, like a butler button and a customer service agent will call you with all the information about the issues you are experiencing?

As a brand how do you plan to deliver a consistent experience to your customers? If you wonder how, listen to some experts who have successfully done so in their respective companies in Asia Pacific.