I AM TAXONOMY PAGE

Chapter: India

Customer acquisition and retention is not about price wars.

 We stepped in, unannounced. The General Manager did a double-take when he saw us and recognized us in spite of the masks and in spite of seeing us after more than 5 years. He gives us bear hugs, seats us, and fires away orders to his staff in absolute perfection – “Masala Chai (Indian milk tea brewed with spices) for the lady and French Press Coffee for the gentleman,” he says as he walks into the kitchen. He steps out shortly with a batch of freshly baked signature chocolate cookies that we both love. Such small but important details were remembered, by a man we’d met only once earlier. But that one time left such an impact on us, we keep going back there as often as we can. This was our 7th visit over a few years. 

No, this is not a stand-alone restaurant. Nor is it a restaurant in a city hotel. This is one of the many unforgettable experiences we’ve had with the Taj Safaris. I should point out that these are top of line wildlife safari experiences in India and come at a premium. Yet, every time we have had the opportunity, we have stayed with them. Clearly, for the experience the lodge offered. The wildlife on a wildlife safari holiday was incidental. That for you is the power of experience. 

Apple, Disneyland, and Emirates come to mind when I think of other similar powerful brands from different industries. What’s common between them all? They are all top of the line in their industry. They are one of the ‘go-to’ brands. Oh, they are also among the top when it comes to price as well. Right? Read on. 

Remember the time iPhone 13 was launched? Customers started queuing up from 7 pm the previous day, for the next day’s 8 am launch. Some of them were seen with sleeping bags while some of them were ready to rough it out through the night, telling people that it was worth the effort. Some of them flew in from across the continent as well! Now, iPhone 13 is certainly not cheap. And yet, this is the effort customers put in to lay their hands on one.  

When you’re planning a long-haul trip by air, you want to make sure you do so in comfort; you want to make sure that you or your loved ones are taken care of well. All this, regardless of the cost. Top the mind recall in such situations is Emirates. 

Is this just the power of the brand? Or is there something more?  

Let’s assume it was just the brand. This could have perhaps resulted in a one-time purchase. What happens then? How long and how far would the brand carry the customer through? Not too far and certainly not to a repeat purchase over and over. So, what is it then? 

It is all about the experience the brand offers. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the brand is not important. It absolutely is. What I am also saying is that what goes into the brand is as important. In the case of Taj Safaris, it is about the hospitality experience; in the case of iPhone, it’s the UI / UX and in the case of Emirates, the service experience. This is all about branding the experience, so your customers can experience the brand! And when customers are willing (and will pay) to pay top dollar for the experience – you know you have customers for life.  

It sounds very simple. It is anything but that. Whether it’s a product or a service brand, the only thing that will differentiate you from competition is the experience your brand leaves the customer with. So, ensure that you focus on the following: 

  • Design and deliver a customer experience that aligns with the brand promise.  

 Emirates says Fly Better. Imagine if the ground experience, the in-flight experience was anything but that. And it gets you comparing this with a budget airline and thinking to yourself that that was a better experience. The iPhone is advertised as the world’s most powerful personal device. Now imagine if you needed another device to get your drawings done or if the UI was so unfriendly that you opt for something else cause you don’t have the time or patience to understand the UI. That’s one too many customers lost right there. So, everything that enables a customer to fly better or then, make the iPhone the most powerful personal device has to be thought through and delivered. Else, the promise and the experience will be in conflict with each other – a clear recipe for customer churn. 

  •  Reverse weave the experience into the promise.  

There could be service/product components that grab the attention of your customers. Reverse weave that experience into the promise. For example, when House Keeping staff is so detail oriented that four years later, they remember pillow, towel preferences and remember that you don’t want air freshener sprayed in your room – it is certainly worth incorporating into the experience you offer. (This by the way is how the House Keeping staff are at The Taj Safaris property at Panna, a city in Madhya Pradesh, India). 

  • Ensure that the experience across geographies, touchpoints, and staff is consistent.  

If you want to sustain a competitive advantage and retain customers, just designing and delivering an exceptional experience is not sufficient. You need to deliver it consistently, year after year across geographies and channels to a point where it becomes synonymous with your brand. Even after that, care has to be taken that there is no dilution whatsoever, cause one moment of slack and competition that’s nipping at your heels, will use it to their advantage.  

Customers will always have a choice, that’s the reality of the world we live in today. But when customers choose your product/service over that of competition, this in spite of the fact that you are not the cheapest in the business, you know you have them for life. So, go out there and build an experience that customers choose to pay more for. Focus on the experience; the moolah will automatically follow.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Sandip

Design Thinking Expert with over 700+ “Best Selling” products designed for clients worldwide. PAUL SANDIP has designed and developed more than 700+ products in collaboration with MNC’s, MSME’s and Start-Up’s worldwide. Many of which have become “Iconic Best Selling Products” thus helping multiply their business growth. He caters to New Product Development needs of the industry across various sectors such as IoT, Home Automation, Medical Devices, Consumer Electronics, Switches & Accessories, Lighting, Home / Kitchen Appliances, Furniture, Infant Products, Toys, Stationary, Housewares, Fashion, Lifestyle and Home Décor products.

Metamorphosis Unlimited

We are a Strategic HR & Talent advisory consulting firm comprising of 10 Senior Advisors/Associates from India and Europe who have held senior positions in large organizations in Manufacturing, IT & ITes, Hotel Industry, Media, Telecom & the Indian Armed Forces in the capacity of CEO’s, Board Directors, VP-Finance, COO’s, HR Directors and Strategy Consultants. Our People and change practice helps transform the performance, productivity & efficiency of organization across the world by changing the way people are led, managed and developed. We do this by focusing on two keys of the change agendas on large scale complex, transformational change programmers, human resource management and finance.

Discrimination At Workplaces – How you can build a More Inclusive Culture

The recent shift to remote working made scouting talent from across the globe and onboarding people from different parts of the world a piece of cake. It goes without saying that a diverse workforce is more productive. Companies receive the benefits of creativity and innovation, a diverse work environment, enhanced employee performance, and more, when they welcome and value employees from all backgrounds without any discrimination.

However, inclusion is not the same as diversity. Consider inclusiveness as the next stage in successfully supporting a diverse workforce: it’s all about building a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all employees. If you are looking to make a genuine impact and want to showcase commitment to creating an inclusive work environment, it’s important to understand the dynamics of your organization first. In this blog, we will discuss some tried and tested ways of creating a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Add inclusive principles to your core values A timely revision of your organization’s values can be a good place to start. In case your company already has provisions for diversity and inclusion, getting management involved in shaping policies that follow company values and employee needs can be your next step. Ask for thoughts and input from all employees to make the right impact. If your administration and HR teams aren’t too diverse, Orient your company’s leaders on the value of diversity and inclusion. Offering diversity and inclusion (D&I) training to executive-level managers is one example. Also, consider creating a safe space for your executives to address awkward or unpleasant questions before launching company-wide diversity efforts. Once leadership is at ease and onboard, they’ll be invaluable assets in setting a genuine, inclusive tone for everyone.

Use inclusive language Model inclusive language in all professional communications. You can include your preferred pronouns in your email signatures and slack names, such as “Tia Michael, they/them,” to exhibit inclusive culture. When referring to someone’s spouse, use “spouse” or “partner” rather than the gender-specific – “husband” or “wife”. Non-married couples can also benefit from the use of “Partner”. Regardless of the language spoken in the office, multilingual signage can serve as a subtle reminder to employees that they are part of a more diversified world.

Celebrate diverse and inclusive events and initiatives To sensitize the world, there are several days in a year dedicated to celebrating and creating awareness about our different cultures and special abilities. Recognizing days such as – International women’s day (8th March), World autism awareness day (2nd April), International day of disabled persons (3rd December), or celebrating pride month by inviting guest speakers, or having an office lunch can be a great way of acknowledging the diversity of your company and being inclusive. Extending your holiday calendar to give minority groups and religions a day off can also be a fantastic way to create a healthy and diverse work environment. Ramadan, Muharram for Muslims, Diwali, Navrati for Hindus, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur for Jews are significant festivals that employees who celebrate them should be able to do so with their families on those days.

Create a collaborative environment Finding ways of collaborating across teams can be a great way for employees to spend time with each other and get to know one another better. Hosting events such as ‘bring your children to work day’, organizing team building activities or group volunteering can build an inclusive culture where everyone in the workplace learns to be sympathetic with those around them. A collaborative workplace may help break down divisions and foster inclusion across the organization, regardless of their function or department. For more isolated employees, a stronger HR presence is required. The OFCCP offers a list of workplace rights to protect employees from discrimination at their workplace. Some companies have also established an ‘inclusive task force’. These are passionate individuals who are responsible for bringing new ideas to leadership’s attention and collaborating with all departments to implement and promote change in the organization.

To Conclude Inclusion revolves around the day-to-day interactions between employees, managers, leaders, teams, and peers. In other words, genuine inclusive workplace practices rely on leadership support and grassroots energy. As companies become more diverse and inclusive (D&I) inclined, hiring people from diverse backgrounds, with unique needs is also being adopted on a large scale. Chezuba is a platform that offers corporates the opportunity to engage their employees in virtual volunteering as part of their employee engagement programs. With over 7000 nonprofits from across the globe to choose from, employees can get a true sense of the problems such as discrimination some communities face and work towards building an inclusive and sensitized world.

Summary: A Diverse and Inclusive work environment is largely beneficial for an organization. Let’s look at some ways you can build an inclusive workplace for everyone.

How to build a sustainable social venture enterprise

Ms. Pauline Laravoire guides DLC members on the voyage into corporate responsibility in terms of undertaking Social Ventures. She helps the listeners gain a deep sense of sustainability and helps them understand the role market must play in it.