Shoved in a Closet?

How would you feel if you were ushered into a waiting room, and it was a slightly upgraded closet?

Is this similar to what your customers experience?

This is from Tom Wanek author of MarketingBeyondAdvertising.com :

Where’s The Breakdown In Your Personal Experience Factor?

Last Thursday, I had the unfortunate experience of spending the day in a hospital lobby waiting for my dad to come out of surgery. But other than the worrying part, the experience wasn’t all that bad. The lobby was inviting and comfortable with plenty of seating. And the hospital staff was helpful and compassionate.

Unfortunately, I witnessed two breakdowns that lowered the hospital’s Personal Experience Factor. (Recall that your Personal Experience Factor is the degree to which you delight your customer.) One issue was minor, while the other was a bit more significant.

The first breakdown should come as no surprise. It’s what I call the Tattered Magazine Syndrome, which plagues the health and beauty, automotive and medical industries.

The most recent magazine I could find in the hospital lobby was from 2005. (No, I’m not joking.) Hospital administrators should appreciate that family members have to wait, nervously, for long periods of time. And few will be distracted by a magazine article that’s five years old.

On a side note, one would think this would be a helluva opportunity for a joint venture between health care providers and the publishing industry. I can think of no better way to expose your magazine to millions of new readers than to refresh the magazine racks in the lobbies of hospitals and doctors’ offices.

But let’s move on.

The second breakdown in the hospital’s Personal Experience Factor came after my father was out of surgery. Following the procedure, a hospital staff member walked me and my mother down to a private room where we waited to be debriefed by the surgeon. Sadly, the hospital staff stuck us in what appeared to be a large closet, which also housed its Internet router and other equipment. The room was also near a service elevator, which had broken doors that kept slamming shut every 30 seconds or so. Not a pleasant experience when you’re anxiously awaiting to hear if your dad was okay.

Please understand, my goal isn’t to bash the hospital. (Hey, I’m just thrilled that my dad’s surgery was a success.) I only want you to appreciate that every customer touch point must be accounted for. A single breakdown in your Personal Experience Factor can forever tarnish the customer’s experience with your company.

So what about you, do you have an interesting customer experience to share – good or bad? Please leave a comment below.

P.S. My good friend and partner, Mike Dandridge, spent the past decade consulting business owners on how to elevate their Personal Experience Factor. You really should get to know him. Visit Mike’s site for a couple of free downloads that will help you score your Personal Experience Factor.

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