Leaving experience to chance
Ok. Have you ever been at a fast food place, when the server hands you a tray with your food and a empty cup so that you can fill up your own soda? I know we like to have control of our destiny, but do we really need this much control? Besides the fact that we are reduced to filling up our own soda, we also must perform a circus act to do so.
Yesterday I had a lunch meeting atPotbelly Sandwich Works - a great establishment, which I really do enjoy. After going through the line, I received my food and empty drink cup. So, I proceed ceremoniously to the big soda machine along with the other patrons. When it came my turn I discovered that this particular soda dispenser had the "PUSH" button on the front of the tap - oh no, here we go...
So, balancing the tray on one hand, I grab the cup at the top with four fingers (keeping my pointer free), I load up with ice, and then slide my cup beneath my soda selection, and then press the button. Of course, the weight and the thin cup instantly create a collapsing effect to the cup. So, I stop early and fill my cup only part way while soda is spilled on my hand.
I know that this may be nit picking, but here is the issue:
1. A vendor's dispenser is impacting my experience with Potbelly's experience
2. A separate product's weakness unintentional combines with the vendors product to also impact my experience
3. Potbelly has little control over this situation, but is sure to more than just one patron
So, while not Potbelly's fault, it is imported into their eating experience. How many things do we as business owners allow to creep into our experience. Whether it's a vendors machine, another part, or any other external influencers we need to pay attention to them as part of the overall experience we are providing to our customers. While a single frustration such as this will not push a customer out the door, enough combined will do just that - whether or not the business had direct control over them. The reality is that the experience just becomes too frustrating or confusing for a customer to engage for anymore than one time.
Again, we tell our clients that you cannot leave experience to chance. So, this serves as a good example of chance experiential elements.
Yesterday I had a lunch meeting atPotbelly Sandwich Works - a great establishment, which I really do enjoy. After going through the line, I received my food and empty drink cup. So, I proceed ceremoniously to the big soda machine along with the other patrons. When it came my turn I discovered that this particular soda dispenser had the "PUSH" button on the front of the tap - oh no, here we go...
So, balancing the tray on one hand, I grab the cup at the top with four fingers (keeping my pointer free), I load up with ice, and then slide my cup beneath my soda selection, and then press the button. Of course, the weight and the thin cup instantly create a collapsing effect to the cup. So, I stop early and fill my cup only part way while soda is spilled on my hand.
I know that this may be nit picking, but here is the issue:
1. A vendor's dispenser is impacting my experience with Potbelly's experience
2. A separate product's weakness unintentional combines with the vendors product to also impact my experience
3. Potbelly has little control over this situation, but is sure to more than just one patron
So, while not Potbelly's fault, it is imported into their eating experience. How many things do we as business owners allow to creep into our experience. Whether it's a vendors machine, another part, or any other external influencers we need to pay attention to them as part of the overall experience we are providing to our customers. While a single frustration such as this will not push a customer out the door, enough combined will do just that - whether or not the business had direct control over them. The reality is that the experience just becomes too frustrating or confusing for a customer to engage for anymore than one time.
Again, we tell our clients that you cannot leave experience to chance. So, this serves as a good example of chance experiential elements.
<< Home