The Customer Karma® book is at the final phases of its production.  The cover design is done. Now it is left to the publishers to do their share to make the book look good so that I can get the book in your hands. As I look back and relive every moment I spent writing this book, I have to admit that it was one of the best times in my professional life. I wrote the book as me, without trying to be anyone else.  You will find "no non-sense" business sense, and my signature attempts at being funny.  But the thing I am most proud of is the thread that goes through the entire book, about the similarity of human relationships with our relationships with customers.  Having this thread throughout the book helped me look at actions brands take in the name of “investing in customer relationships”, from a totally different perspective. There were some actions that one would never ever consider in everyday relationship but it is OK for brands to do it in their relationship with customers.  That simply did not make sense. Here is an excerpt from the book on my customer relationships and normal human relationships are so similar. As brands strive to build a strong connection with its customers, it must remember that relationships have phases. A deeper understanding of the phases will shed more light on how business relationships evolve. Understanding why we get into relationships and how relationships evolve is important in order for brands to realize why a customer will choose to build a long-term relationship with them. A journey must start with self-discovery. Before jumping into the dating world and seeking a relationship, it is always important to have a clear idea of who one is and what one is seeking. Here Are the Four Relationship Phases of a Date First Impression: Within seconds of the start of a date, one forms a first impression that sets the tone for the rest of the date. Doesn’t the same thing happen within minutes of entering a new store that one is visiting for the first time? The first impression is important in building a relationship. Making It Easy to Explore: This is the early part of the date. During this phase, both individuals are cautious and simply want to explore. The same thing happens with a first visit to a store, as the customer in this phase wants to walk around and let the surroundings soak in. Seeking Confirmation: As the date progresses, both persons become aware of a reality. The reality is that at the end of the date, each has to decide if there is going to be a second date. Hence, they start becoming a little more proactive in getting information they need for this decision. The Grand Finale: Decision Time: At the end of the date, each person makes a decision about the future of the connection. A customer goes through exactly the same emotions during the first visit to the store. As we go through the phases of customer karma, it is important to know that the focus should not be only on doing good karma always; how and when you do good karma also matter. Good karma should be done in a spontaneous, natural way without the other person feeling stressed or overwhelmed. As you reflect on the similarities between both, let me ask you a question.  Think it is the birthday of one of your best friends or the person you started to date.  You want to do something nice on his/her birthday. Would you ever consider giving him/her a coupon for “½ off dinner” at a restaurant” or “$5 off if you spend $25 or more” at a retail store?  Probably not.  If you are a little tight on cash flow you can still give him/her a $5 gift card with a nice card.  That will be a good reflection of your feelings. The recipient can use the $5 gift card however he/she wants, as there are no conditions to its use.  The “½ off dinner” at a restaurant” or the “$5 off if you spend $25 or more” at a retail store both require the person to spend money to use the offer.  That is simply not a nice gesture.  Instead why doesn’t the brand simply offer a $5 gift card at the restaurant or the retail outlet, where the recipient can use it however he/she wants.  That makes it a true gift instead of it being “how can I trick you, on your birthday, to spend money at my store?”   Subscribe to be notified of new blog postings  ...

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Over the years of consumer research, I have learned that the customers cannot always give you the right answer when you: ASK THEM THE WRONG QUESTION: If you ask the customer the wrong question, the customer will answer the question truthfully; but the answer you get may mislead you. Here is an example: Most retail brands ask during a customer satisfaction survey, “How likely are you to recommend the brand to your friends or family?”  This question is very important to determine the “Net promoter score” which defines the health of the brand.  But if you pause for a second, shouldn’t we first ask the customer what kind of things/brands he has recommended to friends and family? Maybe he never recommends anything; maybe, he only recommends things that are new. This is critical to understand as Millennials are not into endorsing brands, but sharing with friends only if it benefits the friend.  Hence if 60% of customers are stating that they are NOT going to recommend the brand, it may mean that: By nature, he does not recommend His friends already use the brand He enjoys the brand, but it is tough to scream about the brand. ASK THEM WHAT SHOULD BE THE SOLUTION: Guests can only react to what you offer.  They cannot act as the CMO of the company and come up with the next big idea.  As Steve Jobs said, “A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them”. An example of this is when a brand asks a question - what will make you visit my store again? Usually most respondents will answer, “lower price”, “discounts or coupons”, or “locations closer to me.” But are they actually the right reasons? Is the customer not spending similar amounts of money at a different store, nearly the same distance away?  If he is, then what is the reason for him not visiting the store? Hence it is not about just getting customer feedback but it is about getting insights about the customer and how the customer reacts to the product or service you offer. Here was the business challenge Boston Market was facing in mid 1990's. The brand offered the best sides and was considering offering the sides in pre-portioned containers instead of serving each customer from the baking dish.  As my team wanted to determine how this decision would impact the customer, this was our way of thinking: We can ask the customer the question in a survey but we were not sure the survey will capture the “true emotional reaction” of the respondents. We can go a step beyond and show the customer pictures of both scenarios and record their rating and preference.  This will show the customer more clearly what we are offering, but still, the customer will be giving feedback “away from the actual moment” in the restaurant. We wanted to capture what the guest actually felt in the restaurant as the moment of truth. And to do that we designed a totally “nontraditional research”. The result was simply “wow”. Not only did we get the answer to our question, but we understood the overall context of the answer; and that learning was priceless. I hope you enjoy the video that talks about the non-traditional research and its impact. Thank you, Arjun   Subscribe to be notified of new blog postings  ...

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