The ultimate goal of customer experience is always to make customers’ lives easier and better.
Or, in the words of Getaway Chief Experience Officer Carlos Becil, to give them everything they need and nothing they don’t.
Nearly every stress and problem customers face has one of two sources: they don’t have something they need, or they have something they don’t need. The greatest way to provide value to customers is to streamline the experience to make their lives simpler and stress-free.
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That’s especially the case in the travel industry, where Getaway shines. The modern cabin rental outposts are designed to match customers’ needs: accessible to major cities but comfortable to unwind in nature. The pandemic accelerated a trend Becil was already seeing—people want to escape the rush of city living and enjoy the simplicity of being in nature. Getting outdoors is now part of many people’s mental health routines, which means a simple customer experience goes a long way.
There’s nothing worse than customers having to deal with complicated itineraries and too many decisions to take away from a relaxing trip. Getaway makes the booking process simple so that all guests need to do is choose a cabin and dates, and Getaway takes care of the rest. That proactive service means customers don’t have to hunt down resources and can have all the information for their trip sent right to them. Giving customers everything they need means taking care of the details and amenities, and giving them nothing they don’t need includes eliminating extra steps and choices for guests to sort through.
To take the customer experience one step further, Getaway is partnering with Walmart to put a general store next to its facilities in some locations. These stores will help guests get the goods they forgot and may need, including basics like toothpaste and toiletries, but also items to make their trips more enjoyable, like card games to play or journals to record their experiences. Curating the items in the general store and putting them right next to the cabins creates a seamless experience for customers to get exactly what they need without sifting through things they don’t.
Becil says that if Getaway can give its customers one less thing to worry about and open more free time for them, it’s a win. That mentality drives the company’s innovation. Every new idea is considered through the lens of whether or not it’s something customers need. Getaway customers don’t need the full spa experience, but they may need a relaxing soaking tub, which the company is testing at some cabins.
Customer experience doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. And it boils down to focusing on making customers’ lives easier by giving them everything they need and nothing that they don’t.
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Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist and the bestselling author of The Customer of the Future. For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here.