Customer experience keeps pushing forward. Agile brands that are willing to try new things and find creative solutions for their customers will not only survive but thrive. Here are three stories from the week that show how companies are evolving and preparing for the future.
UPS Gets Approval For Expanded Drone Delivery
Many companies have teased and tested the idea of drone delivery in recent years, but the system has hit roadblocks for widespread adoption. However, last week the FAA granted the first broad approval for drone delivery to UPS, which moves drone delivery one step closer to reality. The approval allows UPS to fly its drones at night and carry items that are heavier than 55 pounds. UPS and its Flight Forward group say it will start with drone delivery to hospitals before expanding to other services. The FAA approval could set the stage for unmanned package delivery by other large companies, including Amazon and Uber, and allow for much faster delivery.
Drone delivery would be a huge boost for both customers and businesses. We’ve seen next-day delivery become the norm, but that could soon change to same-day delivery if unnamed deliveries catch on. There are still many issues to overcome for widespread drone delivery, but UPS’s approval is definitely a step in the right direction.
Coca-Cola To Test The Waters With Energy Drinks
Americans are drinking less soda, which has left large beverage companies like Coca-Cola scrambling for the next great product. For the first time ever, Coke will release a drink in the U.S. that isn’t soda when it unveils its energy drink in January 2020. Coca-Cola Energy will be available in four flavors and feature three times the caffeine of regular Coke. The move comes as energy drink sales see huge growth in the U.S., with sales increasing more than 11% in the last year. Coke hopes expanding to a booming business will more than make up for slumping soda sales.
Coke is taking a big risk by expanding to a new product, but the risk could pay off if the energy drink resonates with customers. This story highlights the need for companies to constantly be evolving and finding new products and solutions to match what customers want and need. Even an established industry like soda can get disrupted by changing trends and demographics and needs to be prepared to pivot into a new offering for customers.
Most Retailers Track CX But Leave Out One Metric
A recent survey found that the vast majority of retailers in the U.S. and UK track customer experience metrics. The most common metrics are customer growth (74%), company growth (71%) and revenue growth (65%). However, just 40% of survey respondents evaluate customer churn in relation to experience. Investing in customer experience has been linked to decreasing customer churn, especially online where many people abandon a website or shopping cart because of poor design or navigation.
Metrics are a vital part of customer experience and prove the business value of investing in experience. In order to paint the full picture of experience, brands should track multiple metrics that relate to their growth and customer base. Metrics like customer churn, net promoter score and loyalty that didn’t score high in the survey can also be effective indicators of customer experience improvement. In order to be successful, companies should track a variety of metrics that paint the full picture of experience and customer satisfaction.
Companies need to track and understand their customers so they can adjust their products and services to best meet their needs. These stories show that expanding to new services can help them stay leaders in their fields.
Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker and the author of two books including The Customer Of The Future: 10 Guiding Principles For Winning Tomorrow’s Business. Sign up for her weekly customer experience newsletter here.