CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
A few weeks ago , I pulled out a trending video which showed a big brand pick-up being towed or is it being dragged through mud by two indigenous cows and posted it on LinkedIn .
My comments were simple and I quote , ‘ In new markets , we must accept that sometimes we will be shown the terrain by those who fully understand it . Learn that no matter how technically savvy we are , the last mile requires ingenuity , and humility to accept new methods not just the text book theories ’.
This post got over 3000 likes , 300 comments , 600 re-shares and a whopping 400,000 plus impressions .
The comments in that post would lead any brand to rethink , review and re-imagine what their customers say about them .
One Youcef Bensalah threw in an Algerian quote ‘ like the new but don ’ t underestimate the ancient ”. Self-explanatory to every brand .
Leonard Mudachi , a hospitality guru gave a good snippet . He categorically stated that the last mile still remains the most underestimated / undervalued asset in our market .
Is The Last Mile The Real Differentiator In Creating Exceptional Customer Experience ?
Dr Nelson Chipangamate of Voconiq Local Voices added his opinion . ‘ Genuine stakeholder dialogue involves accepting that communities may know a lot more about their terrain , hence the important role of their brand solutions ’.
A lot of comments were based on why multi-national brands fail in African or fairly under-developed markets . Local knowledge is paramount in the last mile as it incorporates expectations deeply rooted in culture , socialization , experiences and inspirations . One size does not fit all and it ’ s good to identify the sub-cultures that are discreetly buried in customers minds .
As a seasoned customer experience thought-leader , this got me thinking . What have customers really experienced in the delivery of goods to their doorsteps ? What do big brands think while doing the last mile delivery ? What are the gaps that customers have realized from the airconditioned boardroom decisions versus their real expectations ? Who will win this battle of the last mile and what is the net effect to their brand in terms of relation building and revenues realized ?
What is Last Mile ?
The last mile can be defined as the final
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How do you communicate with the client when you have dropped the ball ? How do you capture this information for progressive service recovery ? Do you even have a service recovery model as a business ?
By Pauline Warui
leg of the delivery journey where a product is delivered to the customers doorstep . This involves transportation of goods from a distribution center or warehouse to the customers delivery point of choice . Previously this term was commonly used by telecommunication companies to define the final leg of delivering Cable Television and fibre internet to the home . In logistics the term is also used rampantly to dictate how to deliver the last stock unit to the retail customer e . g . in food , clothes or any form of delivery .
As customers become more discerning , most organizations have fought tooth and nail to differentiate themselves using convenience as the bait to wow their customers . Terms like customer delight , customer obsession are now commonly used to assure customers that they are truly top of mind in their brands .
Big organizations have learnt to connect with customers and indemnify themselves from being labelled as revenue drivers who do not care . The smart brands realized commonly customers are emotional beings and going the extra mile would win the hearts and minds of these customers .
Why is delivering the last mile so difficult for organizations ?
This is a culmination of all the moving tasks that the business has put in place to ensure a seamless flow of activities to the customers satisfaction at the point of delivery . Are the customer expectations met or did the customer experience various pain points ? This is the moment all the cumulative errors manifest themselves e . g . some parts were
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