Friction could be anything that slows the customer down in their pursuit of achieving their own goals. Customer friction negatively impacts leads, sales and the overall experience and almost every company has it somewhere in the interactions with their customers. The best way to adress this issue is to zoom out and stop focusing on just adding another channel, instead you need to think about how you can integrate those channels in an omni-channel mix. Think integrative not additive.
We often presume that the face to face meeting is superior in every situation, however there may be some situations where your customers prefer a digital interface instead of human connection. Hilton have realized this and that's why they have developed and launched digital check-in. With the help of their mobile app you can select a room, make special requests, get the room key and check-out without having to stand in line in the lobby. With this technology they are streamlining the check-in process and giving guests the opportunity to view photos of the hotel rooms via their smartphone or tablet.
In order to deliver a seamless customer experience you must understand the term appropriately. This is important because a lot of people have a very narrow understanding of the term, some may think that it only have to do with customer service. However, we believe that the customer experience should be seen as the sum of all interactions a customer have with an organisation. These interactions and touchpoints will shape the customers' overall perception of the brand, so when designing the customer journey it's crucial to identify the opportunities where you can exceed customer expectations and differentiate your brand. And when your are exceeding customer expectations you are more likely to create an impactful and differentiated brand experience.
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