Photo: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Good things don’t always come to those who wait. In our ultra-connected and high-speed world, two-day shipping has been replaced by two-hour delivery, and waiting for a physical item has been replaced by streaming and instant downloads.
Modern customers are all about instant gratification.
The ability to provide instant gratification is the next battlefield for CX. With advancements in technology, processes and deliveries that used to take days or weeks can now be done in minutes or hours.
Instant gratification doesn’t necessarily mean that customers receive their products instantly, it means delivering instant value and peace of mind. Customers want to see the immediate reward for making a purchase or interacting with a brand.
And as customers experience instant service and gratification from some companies, they come to expect it from all companies.
Instant gratification isn’t limited to a certain industry or size of company. Adding elements of nearly instant service can transform all kinds of companies and lead to a more efficient and convenient customer experience.
Consider these five examples:
REX Real Estate Uses AI for Faster Home Sales
REX Real Estate uses innovative AI technology to cut the time it takes to list a home for sale from days to hours. Customers enter the address of their home and some basic features into the Instant List feature, and the algorithm considers many factors, including the size, age and location of the home to automatically recommend a list price and how long it will take to sell the home. Information is then automatically shared with an agent to populate the listing agreement and cut down on red tape and paperwork.
Fridge No More Delivers Groceries in 15 Minutes
15-minute grocery delivery is the new two-hour delivery. A growing number of services offer nearly instant delivery. One company is Fridge No More, which has quickly expanded since its creation in 2020 as a way to quickly provide groceries during the pandemic. Each of the company’s fulfillment centers is located in the center of a one-mile service zone and laid out strategically to pick orders as efficiently as possible Orders are fulfilled nearly as soon as orders are received, and full-time delivery employees can get to customers via scooter or electric bike in minutes.
Disney Genie App Plans The Perfect Disney Day In Real-Time
Planning the perfect day at Disney World just got easier with the Genie app. Disney guests select their must-do rides, attractions, shows and restaurants, and then the app instantly creates a personalized itinerary that hits all their favorites and maximizes their time at the park. The app automatically makes changes based on line conditions and ride closures. Guests can see current and predicted future wait times and adjust their itinerary in real-time as their plans change.
Starship Technologies Uses Bots for 24/7 Delivery
College students at campuses across the country don’t have to wait long when those late-night cravings hit. Starship Technologies has more than 1,000 robots and operates on more than 20 college campuses. Instead of relying on humans to make deliveries in the middle of the night, the bots instantly pick up and deliver orders from on-campus restaurants and stores. Customers use an app to track their delivery and unlock the bot to receive their items.
Foxtrot Offers 5-Minute Convenience Store Pickup
Foxtrot gives a new meaning to the term convenience store with its 30-minute delivery or five-minute pickup service. The chain features trendy snacks and items from leading name brands and local companies, as well as cafes and coffee shops. Foxtrot combines leading technology with a strong in-person experience to serve customers around the clock. In the morning, customers shop for fresh-roasted coffee, stop for lunch items at the café and pick up wine and gifts in the evening—all ready within minutes.
For today’s customers, it’s all about convenience and speed. Brands that can deliver on instant gratification set the bar high for the modern customer experience.
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*This article is brought to us by NICE
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